SLTS: Tarantula's Tales
by 65rogeryork
Summary: Pain. Hurt. Loss. All emotions felt by Ronnie Anne Santiago, aka Tarantula. She finds herself embarking on a quest into Great Lakes City, in search of her missing brother, Bobby. However, this city holds many secrets, some that are trying to stay undiscovered. Join Ronnie Anne in her adventures as she seeks to expose the hidden corruption in the big city.
1. Episode 1: Meat and the Meddle

**Some of you may have seen this coming, but for those of you who didn't, welcome to _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! _If you've been reading SLTS: Season 2 lately, you'll remember that Ronnie Anne has been recently introduced as a new hero, Tarantula. This side series will chronicle her adventures as she fights crime as Great Lakes City's defender! This story still takes place in the Super Louds universe, so you can expect to see Super Thunder or anyone else from the main storyline to pop up from time to time. **

**Alright! It's time to begin a brand new set of adventures! Hopefully you guys will enjoy this side series.**** If anyone wants to either create a theme song or suggest a song for one, you can leave your suggestion in a review! As always, reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: Credit for this episode's villain ideas goes to a guest review and also to Indy Scott. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**Episode 1: Meat and the Meddle**

Great Lakes City. One of the bigger cities in Michigan. It was just like many other big cities. Always busy, always moving. This constant bustle and hustle had pushed some people into the background. These were the people that could never seem to be found. Crime was a big problem in this city, and many criminals used the natural chaos of this place to their advantage. It looked as if nothing could stop these criminals. That is, until a new force for justice appeared...

_"This is dispatch. Suspects have fled from the Great Lakes National Bank. They are heading eastbound on Shirley Street. Request for backup?"_

Ronnie Anne's spider senses suddenly kicked in, as her enhanced hearing let her pick up that radio transmission. She was currently on the rooftop of a tall building conducting her usual afternoon surveillance of the city. On the streets below her, she spotted two thieves on motorcycles speeding away from police.

"Time to swing into action!...Eh, I'll think of a better catchphrase." said Ronnie Anne, as she swung into action as the hooded hero, Tarantula.

Meanwhile, in downtown, there seemed to be a bit of a traffic jam...

"*honks horn* Come on! What's the hold up?! I've gotta get to work!" exclaimed a burly man, clearly angry.

He was dressed in a hair net and an apron which suggested that he worked at a restaurant. However, he seemed to be running a bit late for work and this traffic jam was not helping.

Just then, the two thieves started approaching the traffic jam from behind. They drove behind each other and sped down the middle, in between the cars. To get through quickly, they each pushed a button on their motorcycles which activated some strange mechanisms. These mechanisms came from both sides of their bikes and they pushed the other cars away from them as they sped through.

"*car gets pushed aside forcefully* Ahh! Hey! My car! You morons!" yelled the man.

The thieves got through the traffic and continued fleeing from the police. Some of the cops got out of their cars to assist those whose cars got damaged by the motorcycles' mechanisms.

"Hey! Squadron 84! Go around and try to catch up with them! We can't let them get away like this!" ordered the Commissioner.

"Don't worry! They won't!" said Ronnie Anne, as she swung past the cops in pursuit of the thieves.

"*slams his car door in aggravation* Forget this! I've only got three minutes left!" said the man, as he started running in the hopes of making it to work on time.

Meanwhile, the two thieves had stopped by the edge of a lake on the outskirts of the city.

"I think we lost 'em." said one of the thieves.

"I knew we would. Come on, let's get these scores back to the boss." said the other thief.

They high-fived each other, both thinking they had gotten away. However, as soon as they high-fived, a web suddenly stuck to both of their hands. Before these thieves could respond, they were both flipped forward onto the ground.

"*webs both of them up together* You guys know the heroes always get the final score." said Ronnie Anne, confiscating the stolen bags of money.

"*struggles to break free* It's that spider freak!" said one of the thieves.

"Great Lakes doesn't need you, ya know! All you're doing is messing up the system!" said the other thief.

"Exactly. It's time for a change don't you think? Your old system was broken and crooked anyway. *hears sirens approaching* Have fun in jail!" said Ronnie Anne, as she shot a web out and took to the sky again.

The police suddenly arrived and took notice of the two thieves bound together on the ground.

"Where's the money?" asked one of the cops.

"*drops the two bags in his hands* There you go!" said Ronnie Anne, as she kept swinging from tree to tree.

"Hmph. That Tarantula girl sure is interesting." said the Commissioner.

"Should we follow her sir?" asked the policeman who caught the moneybags.

"Nah, leave her. If she wants to help out with petty theft then fine. She hasn't committed any major offenses...yet." said the Commissioner, without a stern tone.

Back in the city, the man had made it to the sandwich shop where he worked, but he was very late.

"*panting heavily* Mr. Parks! *pants* I-I'm sorry-"

"Save it William! Do you know how many orders you've been holding up?! The kitchen staff has been waiting on you for 20 minutes! Look at these customers! Do they look happy to you?!" said Mr. Parks.

William looked at the long line of customers and the displeased look on many of their faces. A woman gave him an angry glare as she walked out the store with her sandwich.

"I'm sorry sir. I was stuck in traffic! You won't believe-"

"No! You know what? I don't believe you! You know why? This is the fourth time you've been late this month William! That is unacceptable! There's no room for excuses! You're just being lazy!" said Mr. Parks.

"No, I swear! I tried to get here on time! The traffic jam was crazy and there was this insane police chase-"

"You're done William." said Mr. Parks, pretty much done listening.

"W-What?...No. No! You can't do this Mr. Parks! I need this job!" said William.

"And I needed a reliable worker! But I guess we both can't get what we need huh? All you had to do was come to work and make sandwiches William. How hard is that?" said Mr. Parks.

William looked at Mr. Parks with his mouth agape. He really didn't have any other excuse. This whole situation had looked bad for him from the start considering his track record with being on time. Now, to make matters worse, William looked around and saw customers recording the whole thing with their phones. His face flushed red with embarrassment.

"You'll get your last check in the mail." said Mr. Parks, turning to leave.

"Mr. Parks, please! I promise I'll do better! Just give me another chance!" pleaded William desperately.

"I gave you plenty of chances! And you blew all of them! I don't need you anymore! You're messing up my system! Good luck finding another job in this city." said Mr. Parks, as he walked through a door, leading to the back of the restaurant.

William just stood there, shocked, confused, embarrassed...but bubbling up to the surface ever so slowly was anger. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He quickly dashed out the store to avoid any more embarrassment. Just as he exited the store, he spotted _Tarantula _swinging by with her webs.

"Where were you this morning huh? You call yourself this city's hero, and you couldn't even save me." said William, as he started walking down the street, visibly angry and upset.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

*Ronnie Anne spider crawls into her room through her bedroom window*

"*walks in* There you are cous! *runs over and hugs her* I thought you said your afternoon patrol was only an hour!" said Carlota, the worry shining through in her voice.

"I kinda got carried away taking down some bad guys. They led a police chase all the way outside the city." said Ronnie Anne, now in her normal attire.

"Wait. You were involved in a police chase?! I thought we agreed you could only help in our neighborhood!" said Carlota.

"What kind of superhero would I be if I just stayed in one place? This whole city needs me Carlota. Everything's all crooked and out of whack." said Ronnie Anne.

"Let the police handle that then. I don't want you to get whacked while you're out there." said Carlota.

"Relax Carlota. I'll be fine." said Ronnie Anne.

"Ronnie Anne! *runs up and hugs her as well* It's time for dinner! Grandma made quesadillas! Come on!" said CJ, as he pulled on Ronnie Anne's arm, dragging her behind him. Carlota followed behind as well.

CJ brought Ronnie Anne to the dinner table where the rest of the Casagrandes were already seated for dinner.

"I found Ronnie Anne!" exclaimed CJ proudly.

"Good job CJ." said Carlos.

"So, Ronnie, got any new superhero stories for us?" asked Carl hopeful.

"Eh, I might. I hope you're ready though. It might get a little crazy." said Ronnie Anne, playfully teasing.

"Bring it! I can take anything you've got!" said Carl.

"Let's say grace first ninos." said Rosa, as she finished putting the food on the table.

Once she took her seat, all the Casagrandes took each other's hands and said grace.

"Amen." said all the Casagrandes in unison.

"So, Ronnie, what was my little spider up to today?" asked Rosa curious.

"*takes a bite of food* Well, the day started off kinda slow until this afternoon. There were these two guys on motorcycles and they had just robbed a bank! They made this traffic jam into a huge mess and the police had to stop to handle it. So, I swung in and helped them out a little bit." said Ronnie Anne.

"Wait, you mean you dealt with bank robbers today? Real criminals?" asked Maria.

"Yes Mom. I know you said not to leave the neighborhood but, they drove right past me! I couldn't just stand by and watch them get away! I had to do something!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Whoa! There's already video of how Ronnie Anne handled those guys! Look!" said Carl, showing everyone the video.

Everyone watched in awe as Ronnie Anne flipped both of the thieves off their motorcycles using only her webs. Carlitos giggled as soon as the thieves were flipped to the ground.

"Ronnie...listen. We understand what you're trying to do and we're not saying it's bad..."

"But it's really dangerous! Seriously Ronnie! I don't want you to get hurt out there!" said Carlota, cutting off Frida's statement.

"I don't think we need to be that concerned everyone. She seems to be handling it." said Hector.

"Against petty crime sure but, Ronnie, you went up against real criminals today. What if one of them had a gun? What if both of them had a gun? What if they abducted you..."

Maria suddenly paused as she started tearing up. Ronnie Anne instantly knew what was troubling her.

"...Listen. Mom, I want to do this. I promise you I'm being careful when I'm out there. There's really no need to worry." said Ronnie Anne.

"*sniffles* My worst fear is that either Madame Butterfly or someone else will come along and take you away...And that I'll never see you again..."

Ronnie Anne listened to the hurt in her Mom's voice. It absolutely broke her heart.

"I already lost my son Ronnie. I can't lose you too." said Maria.

"I know Mom. And that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this. For Bobby. I'm gonna find him. I know he's still out there...But Mom, I need you to trust me. I know how serious this is, but I'm only going to go out there if I need to. Trust me, this city needs a Tarantula." said Ronnie Anne.

"*sniffles* And I need a Ronnie Anne." said Maria.

"Why can't we have both?" said Ronnie Anne, as she and her mother embraced.

The other Casagrandes just sat there and watched, captivated by the sweetness of this moment.

* * *

Meanwhile, across town, in a run-down apartment building...

*William is seen sitting miserably on his couch, binge eating and watching TV*

"In other news, local superhero Tarantula has been spotted once again this morning, assisting police in the arrest of two thieves who had stolen money from Great Lakes National Bank. Authorities were asked to be interviewed for their thoughts on this, but they have unfortunately declined. This is Sandra Gayle reporting live for Great Lakes City-"

"Argh!" yelled William, as he suddenly threw a beer bottle at his TV screen.

"Oh sure! Spider girl gets to be in the news but me? No dice. Those thugs get to wreck my car and get away with it! Do I get compensation? No! I get fired from my job for this crap, and Mr. Parks won't even give me another chance! Argh!" yelled William, completely frustrated.

He was so angry that it actually started to make his head hurt.

"I'm getting revenge. Forget your system Mr. Parks! If I can't be apart of it, then neither will you." said William, his eyes cold, with hatred evident in them.

William started scrambling around his apartment gathering things for his revenge. He picked up a beat-up hockey mask, took his apron and made holes in it using one of his kitchen knives, and through out his hair net. He never liked that thing anyway. He started throwing knives at his dart board, presumably trying to get better at aiming them. It took a few tries, but eventually he managed to land a bullseye.

"*sees bullseye and smiles deviously* Look out Mr. Parks. You're gonna regret you ever fired me." said William.

* * *

The next morning, at a local butcher shop downtown...

A butcher is seen whistling as he is currently chopping up some meat. Suddenly, he hears a noise and he gets suspicious.

"H-Hello? Who's there?" asked the butcher, a bit nervous.

He started walking carefully towards the direction where he heard the noise, with a butcher knife in hand. However, as soon as he turned the corner, a knife came out of nowhere and pinned him to a wall behind him on his right side. He tried to move but another knife came flying and pinned him to the same wall on his left side. Then, a big, burly man appeared before him, and the butcher dropped his knife in fear.

This man was wearing a beat-up hockey mask, his apron had several holes, rips, and tears in it, and he seemed to be heavily armed with knives.

"*walks up to the butcher real close* The keys to the van outside. Where are they?" asked the mysterious man.

"*grunts* They're hanging up on that keyrack over there! Just take them and go!" pleaded the butcher, quite frightened.

"*pauses* You scared of me?" asked the mysterious man.

The butcher just nodded his head 'yes'.

"*smirks* Good. At least I'm causing someone else _misery._" said the mysterious man.

"Wh-Who are you?" asked the butcher.

"*looks around* I'm _Misery Meat. _Oh, and I'm gonna need those knives back." said Misery Meat, as he forcefully took the knives out of the butcher and the wall.

The butcher was left on the ground in pain, while he was heavily bleeding.

"*grabs the keys and turns around* I'd call an ambulance." said Misery Meat, as he left the kitchen area, and headed outside to the butcher van.

The butcher quickly reached in his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He hurriedly dialed 911.

"*dial tone* 911. What's your emergency?"

"I need help! I'm bleeding out on the floor! There's a mad man with knives and he- *hears van engine start outside* He's stealing my van!" exclaimed the butcher.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne was listening to music on a rooftop nearby, when her spider senses alerted her to some sirens.

"*takes her earbuds out* Huh?" said Ronnie Anne, as she spotted police cars and an ambulance quickly approaching a butcher shop.

She looked around and spotted a butcher van quickly fleeing the scene.

"This city needs me." said Ronnie Anne, as she swung into action once more, in pursuit of the butcher van.

"*spots Tarantula swinging by* Sir! There goes Tarantula!" said one of the police officers.

"Not again. Quickly! You boys follow her! Subdue her if you have to! *under his breath* You're not gonna mess up the system..." said the Commissioner, as he walked briskly towards his car.

Meanwhile, Misery Meat was currently speeding away in the stolen butcher van, munching on cold packaged bologna. Just then, a loud thump was heard above him, which made him suspect that something had landed on top of the van. He was right.

Misery Meat was suddenly blindsided by Tarantula, who just delivered a jump kick to his face. This made him lose focus and the van started driving out of control. Ronnie Anne shot a web at the steering wheel to keep the van on the road.

"Whoa! It's a little early for Halloween isn't it? Also, you're not really pulling of the whole 'Jason' look." said Ronnie Anne, referring to Misery Meat's hockey mask.

"So now you show up." said Misery Meat.

Ronnie Anne was a bit confused by this remark.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"You swung right by me yesterday to deal with those thieves, and didn't even check for me. You call yourself a hero? You say you fight for justice?! Where's the justice for my car huh? Or better yet, where's the justice for my job!" exclaimed Misery Meat, clearly angry.

Ronnie Anne was very confused and didn't know how to respond to this. Before she could however, a police car suddenly rammed into the side of the van, trying to force it off the road.

"Hey! Watch it!" exclaimed Misery Meat.

"Yeah! For real! You guys are gonna make this van run into all these people on the sidewalk!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne.

However, these police didn't seem to care about that. All they cared about was stopping this stolen butcher van. With another ram, the van was sent dangerously close to the sidewalk. Ronnie Anne knew she had to do something before this van ran over innocent people. She shot two webs at the steering wheel, and forcefully pulled the van away from the sidewalk, and back on the road. She pushed the offending police cars away in the process.

"*looks in the mirror and sees the damaged police cars behind him* I thought those were your friends." said Misery Meat.

"Those police aren't right! I get that they want to catch the bad guys, but not at the cost of innocent lives!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Trust me kid. No one's innocent in this city. The sooner you realize that, the better it is for you. Now..." said Misery Meat, trailing.

He suddenly pushed Ronnie Anne aggressively, which caused her to fall out the side of the van. Luckily, she shot out two webs which kept her hanging onto the van. However, this was about to be short lived.

"*throws knife which cuts both webs, disconnecting Ronnie Anne from the van* Get out of my van!" exclaimed Misery Meat, as he drove off, leaving Ronnie Anne dumbfounded on the sidewalk.

"There's gotta be more than one secret in this city..." said Ronnie Anne, to herself.

"Freeze!" exclaimed a police officer, pointing his gun at Ronnie Anne.

"Sorry, but I gotta go." said Ronnie Anne, as she quickly webbed up the officer's gun, before swinging out of there.

She was still in pursuit of Misery Meat.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Mr. Parks' sandwich shop...

"*hears a knock on his office door* What is it?" asked Mr. Parks.

"Meat shipment just arrived." said a mysterious voice on the other side of the door.

Mr. Parks looked up in confusion, because he knew he recognized that voice.

"No..."

"*kicks door open* Oh yes...How you doin' Mr. Parks?" asked Misery Meat, closing the door behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here?! I fired you!" said Mr. Parks, backing up into a corner.

"No. You cheated me. Cut me off from a job you knew I needed!...You don't need me? Well, I'm sure this city doesn't need you either." said Misery Meat, as he brandished a blade in his hand.

"*gulps* William, listen to me. Let's be reasonable about this. There are other jobs in this city! You don't have to do this!" exclaimed Mr. Parks.

"You know how the system works man! It's corrupt! Ain't nobody gonna hire me because nobody cares. And _frankly_, I don't care either." said Misery Meat, as he started walking closer to Mr. Parks.

"No. William, please. Don't-"

"Isn't this funny? 'Cause this is exactly what you did to me yesterday. I begged for my job in front of all those damn customers and you still fired me! Sympathy doesn't exist in Great Lakes. It's time I _cut to the chase_." said Misery Meat, as he raised his knife up in the air, prepared to end Mr. Parks' life.

Suddenly, however, some webbing appeared on his arm and Misery Meat felt himself get pulled away from Mr. Parks. Ronnie Anne then appeared upside down from the ceiling, and flipped down to the ground.

"I'll take that." said Ronnie Anne, taking the knife from Misery Meat's hand.

"*smirks* Take it. I've got more." said Misery Meat, as he suddenly kicked Ronnie Anne away from him, sending her flying into Mr. Parks' desk.

The next thing Ronnie Anne knew, she had a blade pressed dangerously close to her neck.

"I thought you got the hint that you weren't needed around here. Now you're gonna die for nothing." said Misery Meat.

Suddenly, though, he screamed out in pain, as he felt a stinging sensation on his skin. He released Ronnie Anne, and looked at both of his forearms. They were currently being eaten away by what appeared to be venom.

Said venom had just came out of Ronnie Anne's hands.

"Whoa! That's new!" said Ronnie Anne.

"That's it! I'm gonna kill you! Ack!" exclaimed Misery Meat, as he was suddenly struck in his side by one of his blades.

Ronnie Anne looked to her right and saw that Mr. Parks had thrown the blade.

"Get out of here Tarantula. I already called the cops. He's not going anywhere." said Mr. Parks.

"But-"

"Please. I don't want the police to arrest you. This city really does need you." said Mr. Parks sincerely.

Ronnie Anne realized that he did have a point, and decided to comply.

"Alright. But at least let me take these away." said Ronnie Anne, as she shot a web at Misery Meat's pouch, which contained all of his knives.

She took them off of his person and brought them to her.

"Go now. I hear them coming." said Mr. Parks.

"Things are gonna change around here sir. Just you wait." said Ronnie Anne, as she shot a web out a window in the room, and swung through it, carrying the knives with her.

"Freeze!" said the same police officer from earlier.

Mr. Parks put his hands up, but it was clear who the bad guy was.

"We got the butcher guy, but no sign of Tarantula." said the police officer, through his radio.

"Damn it! Arrest him and throw him in the holding cells. I wanna ask him a few questions." said the Commissioner.

"Will do sir." said the police officer, as he and some other officers started arresting Misery Meat.

* * *

Back at the Casagrandes...

"Great Lakes City has seen its first real supervillain today. A man calling himself Misery Meat, attacked a butcher and stole his van, and also tried to harm local sandwich shop owner, Mr. Parks. Misery Meat has been brought to justice, presumably by Tarantula, but authorities are saying they disprove these claims. More details to come after the-"

*the Casagrandes turn their heads to see Ronnie Anne entering the living room through a window*

"Ronnie! Oh thank god! *hugs her* Are you hurt?" asked Maria concerned.

"Nah, I'm fine Mom. Just a few scratches." said Ronnie Anne, as she deactivated her pendant, donning her regular attire again.

"Alright! That's my granddaughter! Tough as nails! Just like her old..old man!" said Hector.

"Hija! You brought home knives?!" asked Rosa, taking the knives away from Ronnie Anne.

"They belong to this villain called Misery Meat." said Ronnie Anne.

"Yeah, we just heard about him on the news!" said Carl.

"Why'd you bring 'em home though?" asked Carlota.

"Well, I couldn't leave them with him...or the police." said Ronnie Anne.

"The police? What do you mean Ronnie?" asked Frida.

"There's something sneaky about the police in this city guys. They're not acting like they're supposed to! While they were trying to stop Misery Meat in the stolen van, they kept ramming their cars into it! They almost ended up pushing the van into the sidewalk!" said Ronnie Anne.

"What?! They didn't air that on the news!" said Frida.

"Because they don't want people to see that. Everyone in this city seems to be under some kind of system. And it's up to me to find out who runs it, and take it down!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Hold on Ronnie. You're talking about possibly undermining local authority! I don't want you to get in trouble honey!" said Maria.

"I'm already in trouble Mom. The police wanna take me down cause they know I'm not apart of the system. But once their system is broken, everyone will realize what's really going on." said Ronnie Anne.

Ronnie Anne paused for a second, as the rest of her family just looked at her in silence.

"I need you guys to have my back on this. Mom, please, I'm convinced that if I keep pushing my way through this, I'll find Bobby. He's gotta be out there somewhere!" said Ronnie Anne.

Maria sighed and stared at her daughter with tears in her eyes.

"Just promise me you'll be careful...Tarantula." said Maria.

"Always Mom." said Ronnie Anne, as she hugged her mother tightly.

The rest of the Casagrandes joined them for a group hug as well.

Once they separated, Rosa curiously looked in the pouch of knives and screamed in shock.

"What's wrong Mama?" asked Maria.

"These knives are filthy! Hasn't this man ever heard of soap and water?" said Rosa, in disgust.

"I think you should just throw those out Grandma. They're covered in blood." said Carlota.

"Good call hija." said Rosa.

"Ah ah. Let me handle that. That's hazardous material you're carrying and it could cause infection." said Carlos, as he put on a mask and gloves.

As Carlos took the knives to dispose of them, the rest of the Casagrandes pulled in for another group hug.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the heart of downtown...

"Hey, at least we got that meat guy off the street!" said the Commissioner.

"But is that what I asked you to do? No. My beef ain't with no meat guy. My beef is with that girl. What did you find out about her?" said a very large man with blonde hair and a beard.

He was dressed in a large pinstriped suit, and was currently smoking a large cigar.

"We still don't know who she is. She's keeping her identity under wraps!" said the Commissioner.

"Listen Richards. I like this city run a certain way. You know this. That girl is only gonna mess up the system. If you don't catch that spider freak soon, I'll do it myself. And you don't want me to do that. My methods are quite _grating._" said the large man.

"I know boss. Don't worry, my men and I will handle this." said Richards.

"You better. Or you'll have to _mess with the cheddar._" said the large man, in a stern tone.

Richards left the dark room nervously, as the man continued smoking his cigar.

* * *

**There sure are some strange characters in this city. And the weirdness runs deeper than what appears on the surface. Ronnie Anne is about to delve into the dark secrets of Great Lakes City. In her quest to find her brother, what else will she uncover in this crooked city? Find out in this new series known as _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales!_**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the first episode! Let me know your thoughts in a review and until next time, I've been 65! Peace!**


	2. Episode 2: The Moose Trail Leads

**Welcome back to _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! _You guys have shown a lot of support for this series over the last few days, and it only has one episode! I just wanna thank you all for reading this story. There were a lot of reviews on the first episode but I've selected a few that stood out to me. Here we go!**

**REVIEWS**

**allanarcher777 - The stakes are indeed high! I'm going to do my best to make sure this series isn't just a simple spinoff of Super Louds. I want it to have it's own identity.**

**Nick Name - I've seen the ideas you've suggested so far, and I already love them. One of your ideas is in this episode but not fully introduced as yet. See if you can spot what I'm talking about.**

**wollyworld - I'm glad you love it. And I'm not taking offense to that comment. I thought it was genuinely funny as well.**

**J - I'm glad you're excited for more! As for that team up...I can't really say much at this time.**

**Guest - I took your idea into consideration and renamed the Chief as Commissioner Richards. I like your idea for the female detective and plan on introducing her at some point in the series.**

**JTWAS1994 - Yeah I know the name is ridiculous, but it's the name the guest reviewer went with so, yeah. Don't worry, there'll be better villains coming in this series.**

**Guest - I agree. Ronnie Anne has a much bigger support system than Peter Parker. Her family will definitely be helping her out in this series.**

**Guest - I have some plans to give some (if not all) of her family members superpowers, but nothing's set in stone yet. As for Bobby...well, you'll just have to see.**

**Guest - I'm glad you liked the acid venom and I love your ideas for its other uses. I will be using these at some point. Thanks! Oh and I'll keep that article in mind as well.**

**Ink-Dub - Glad you're on board man. Definitely more to come in this series.**

**I have seen the other reviews which provide ideas and will take them into consideration. Thank you.**

**NB: I am happy to announce that _Tarantula's Tales _has a theme song! It is Feel Invincible by Skillet. This was suggested by a guest reviewer and I absolutely love it! It fits so perfectly with this series. Thank you for your suggestion.**

**Well, I've made this intro long enough. I'd say it's time to start Episode 2! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: Credit goes to Indy Scott for most of this episode's villains.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 2: The Moose Trail Leads**

It's a slow afternoon in the downtown area of Great Lakes City. Everything appears normal until citizens spot something (or someone) rather unusual.

A large, hefty man with big muscles is seen walking down the street. He has a buzz cut, wears a black tank top, brown pants, and black boots. He also has a tattoo of a _moose _head on his left arm.

He approaches a local jewelry shop and enters it with some sacks in hand.

"*hears the bell ring as the door is opened* Hello uh...sir." said the store owner.

The man didn't respond to her greeting. He just stood there with a scowl on his face.

"D-Did you want to have a look around?" asked the store owner nervously.

The man just grunted at her loudly and then proceeded to smash the display cases inside the shop with his fists. He started depositing the jewelry into the sacks he had brought.

"Please! Stop! Those jewels are delicate!" said the store owner.

However, the man ignored her pleas and continued smashing display cases to obtain his score. The store owner couldn't take it anymore and pressed a panic button that sent a silent alarm out to the authorities. Once she did that, she took a baseball bat she had hidden behind the counter and started slowly approaching the man.

The man had his back turned to her and was trying to stuff as much jewels into each sack as possible. Suddenly, he felt something hard hit his right arm. It didn't hurt him, it just made him mad. He turned around to see the store owner shaking in fear, holding the handle of a broken baseball bat.

The man's nostrils flared as he forcefully shoved the woman into a wall, which knocked her out.

"Hey! That's no way to treat a lady! Where's your manners at?" said Tarantula, appearing in the doorway.

The man just grunted at her before going back to stealing the jewelry.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, ya big lug! What's wrong with you?" asked Tarantula.

She approached the man and tried to turn him around to face her. As she did this, she noticed the _moose _tattoo on his left arm.

"Someone's a moose fan huh?" asked Tarantula.

"*grunts* I'm _Moose._" said Moose, in a low, dark tone.

He then pushed Tarantula off of him and she fell backward, landing on the ground.

"Ow...*rubs her right ankle* Alright Moose, let's get you back on the trail." said Tarantula, as she suddenly jump kicked Moose, which caused him to drop the sacks of jewels.

Tarantula then started punching and kicking him, but he didn't seem to be getting phased by this. Suddenly, Moose got really angry and forcefully headbutted Tarantula to the ground.

Tarantula sat there, slightly disoriented, but then her spider senses suddenly heard sirens approaching in the distance. Moose knew exactly who was coming and wasted no time in collecting the jewels. He then ran straight through a wall of the shop and fled the scene.

"*grunts* Wait! Ow! That guy's really lost his head..." said Tarantula to herself.

She heard the police getting closer and knew she had to get out of there.

"*looks to her left and sees the owner still unconscious* I hope you're okay Miss..." said Tarantula, as she got up and fled the shop.

Police arrived a few minutes later and some of them rushed to tend to the owner.

* * *

Later that night, somewhere in the heart of downtown...

The large man with blonde hair and a beard is once again seen smoking a cigar. He is currently sitting at his desk in his office, which seems to be decorated with cheese decorum.

"...Authorities were able to get a statement from the owner of the shop. She claims that a large man with a moose tattoo was responsible for the burglary..."

The man sat up in surprise upon hearing this information on the news.

"*growls* Moose..." said the man under his breath.

"Another cigar Abe?" asked his bodyguard.

"Yeah. *throws his cigar in the trash* Hit me." said "Abe", as his bodyguard lit a new cigar for him.

"What are you gonna do about him?" asked his bodyguard.

"It's not what I'm gonna do...Call in Jackie and Ru. I've got a job for them." said "Abe".

"*taps her watch and starts speaking* Jackie. Ru. Meeting in Cheese's office. Now." said the bodyguard, as she tapped her watch again to end communication.

A few seconds later, Jackie and Ru entered the office.

Jackie Knife was a young black woman with dreadlocks. She wore a burgundy hoodie with the sleeves cut off, camo pants, and boots. She also had dual robot arms replacing her real arms.

Ru Bing was a young asian man with black hair. He wore a sleeveless jean jacket over a black shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He also wore a special looking fighting glove on his left hand. There was something peculiar about his arms. His left arm appeared normal, but his right arm appeared blistered, as if it had been in close contact with a fire.

"What you need Cheese?" asked Jackie.

"Moose has gone rogue. He burglarized a jewelry store without my authorization. I need you two to find him and...you know what to do. Oh, and bring those jewels back here so I can dispose of the evidence properly." said "Abe", apparently also known as "Cheese".

"You got it Cheese. Come on Ru." said Jackie, as she and Ru left the office.

"Brie, could you excuse me for a moment? I need to make a few calls." said "Cheese".

"Certainly Abe. I'm right outside the door." said Brie, as she briskly left the office.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

"*finishes wrapping Ronnie Anne's ankle* You'll need to stay off that ankle sweetie." said Maria.

"I can't Mom! I gotta find that Moose guy!" said Ronnie Anne.

"How lame! How do you go from a crazed butcher to a random guy who thinks he's a moose?" asked Carl.

"'Cause that's how this city works Carl. You never know what to expect." said Ronnie Anne.

"You can say that again! I was just reviewing the camera feed from your goggles. That moose tattoo isn't the only tattoo that guy's got." said Carlos.

"What's the other tattoo?" asked Hector curious.

Suddenly, the scene switches and all the Casagrandes are in Carlos and Frida's bedroom, where Carlos' computer is. Tarantula's goggles are hooked up to it and the camera feed from earlier that evening is being displayed on the screen.

"*pauses feed and zooms in on Moose's right arm* There's the tattoo." said Carlos.

The Casagrandes looked at the image on screen and saw that the tattoo was a block of _cheese._

"Is that cheese?" asked Carlota confused.

"Queso? Why is this important hijo?" asked Rosa.

"I know I've seen this cheese block somewhere downtown. Chances are this guy's affiliated with a gang." said Carlos.

"A gang? A key to the criminal underworld. I have to find this guy. He could lead me right to whoever's running this system!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Let's take it easy there Ronnie. You're still hurt." said Frida concerned.

"I'm fine." said Ronnie Anne.

"No you're not. You need to rest." said Carlota.

"Yeah! Rest Ronnie Anne!" said CJ.

"*squawks* Rest! Rest!" said Sergio.

Ronnie Anne suddenly fell backward in shock, but luckily Maria caught her.

"Come on honey. Let's get you to bed." said Maria.

"*sighs* Alright..." said Ronnie Anne reluctantly.

A few hours later, sometime in the early hours of the morning...

spider senses alert Ronnie Anne to the sound of motorcycles nearby*

"*wakes up* Huh?" said Ronnie Anne, rubbing her eyes.

She got out of bed and walked towards her bedroom window. Looking out of it, she saw two guys on familiar looking motorcycles racing through the city.

"Those look like the guys I busted for that bank heist a few days ago...Wouldn't be surprised if they escaped. It's time to web some fools!...Nah." said Ronnie Anne, shaking her head against the catchphrase.

She then activated her pendant and turned into Tarantula. Tarantula then hopped out the bedroom window and swing after the two cyclists.

* * *

Meanwhile, the two cyclists were still racing through the streets of the city.

They were both dressed in similar attire: all black clothing, black motorcycle helmets, and black leather jackets with a blood red fang symbol on the right sleeve.

Their motorcycles had the same symbol on each side of it, dead in the center. There were also red neon lights illuminating the rims of each wheel.

The two cyclists eventually arrived at their destination, which was behind a warehouse at the docks. There they met Moose who was leaning up against a wall with the sacks of jewels in hand.

"*takes off his helmet* Is that the stuff?" asked one of the cyclists.

"Yeah. You got my stuff?" said Moose.

"Let's see what's in the sacks first." said the other cyclist.

Moose then angrily emptied the contents of each sack on the ground, forming a mountain of jewels at his feet.

"They better not be broken. Bozo." said the same cyclist.

"Just give me my damn money!" said Moose, getting angry.

The same cyclist gave a nod to the other one and he got off his motorcycle and removed a briefcase that was attached to the back of it. He walked towards Moose and opened the briefcase revealing a lot of money.

Moose grunted happily (if that's even possible) and was ready to take his cash prize.

"Hang on Moose. You've still gotta clean up our jewels." said the cyclist holding the briefcase.

"Don't bother. *blades pop out of both of her arms* The jewels are coming with us." said Jackie.

"What the hell are they doing here?" asked the cyclist still on his motorcycle.

"This doesn't concern you _Cycles. _I suggest you leave." said Ru.

"No! We're finishing the exchange!" said Moose sternly.

Just then, Tarantula landed on a rooftop of another warehouse overlooking the scene.

"Whoa. That's way more bad guys than I accounted for." said Tarantula.

She decided to wait and see what happened next.

"It's over Moose. Give it up." said Jackie.

"NOOO!" exclaimed Moose, as he hastily started trying to recollect the jewels in the sacks.

"Ru! Now!" said Jackie.

Ru started furiously rubbing his right arm. The friction between his arm and the special fighting glove on his left hand caused his right arm to suddenly burst into flames.

Ru then shot a fire blast at Moose and the cyclists, who barely dodged the attack. This attack spooked the cyclists who quickly fled the scene in terror.

Moose was left on the ground, watching as his money burned to ashes before him. Seeing this enraged Moose like never before. So much so, that his skin actually flushed red to match his rage.

Moose suddenly got on all fours and started kicking at the dirt behind him like he was a real bull.

"*growls* You...will DIE!" exclaimed Moose enraged.

"Quite the opposite big guy." said Jackie.

Moose suddenly charged at Jackie and Ru who stood there waiting for him. Jackie then raised her right arm up and swiftly brought it down. A slicing sound was then heard.

Tarantula reeled back in shock and disgust at what had just occurred. Moose's head was now lying on the ground, severed from the rest of his body. Jackie Knife had lived up to her name and sliced his head clean off.

"Whoa. I guess that guy really did lose his head." said Tarantula, a bit shaken by all of this.

"*kicks his head* Worthless pig. Why would Cheese ever hire him?" asked Ru.

"Don't know. Don't care. We had a job to do and we handled it." said Jackie.

"No, you handled it." said Ru, slightly annoyed.

"Don't I always? Come on. Help me collect these jewels." said Jackie, kneeling down to start collecting.

"These three must've been working for the same guy. Some guy named Cheese...I've gotta find this place." said Tarantula to herself.

"Hey! Someone's there!" said Ru suddenly.

Tarantula snapped back to reality and managed to dodge a fire blast aimed at her.

"It's that spider freak. Take care of her." said Jackie.

Ru kept firing fire blasts at Tarantula who just barely dodged each one. She then shot a web at a nearby lamppost and swung off of the rooftop. However, before she could reach safety, one of Ru's fire blasts burned the web she was swinging with, and she suddenly fell to the ground.

"Ouch.." said Tarantula.

She couldn't wallow in her pain for long though, as Ru was back on the offensive.

"*dodges more fire blasts* Alright hothead...or arm. Let's have a real fight!" said Tarantula, as she started shooting webs at Ru, which immediately burned upon contact with his fire.

Tarantula looked past him and saw that Jackie had finished collecting the jewels. She suddenly got a plan.

Tarantula shot two webs at Ru's face, which blinded him for a second. This allowed her to jump over him and snatch the sacks of jewels away from Jackie with her webs.

"See ya Freddy Kreuger!" said Tarantula, as she started swinging away from the docks, with the jewels.

"Damn it! We lost the jewels!" said Jackie.

"*pulls the webbing off his face* We've got to follow her!" said Ru.

"It's too late. She's gone. Come on, forget about her. She'll be back. At least we dealt with this idiot." said Jackie, pointing back at Moose.

"Indeed." said Ru in agreement.

Jackie and Ru then fled the docks, leaving Moose's dead body behind.

* * *

Back at Cheese's office...

"So we've got the matter handled right? Moose should be dead by now, so your men can dispose of the body. Make sure you do a good job Richards." said Cheese, currently on the phone.

"No problem Mr. Cheese." said Richards, on the line.

"I don't want this thing all over the news. Good bye." said Cheese, as he hung up.

Just then, Jackie and Ru entered his office.

"About time you two came back. What's the word?" asked Cheese.

"Moose is dead, but we ran into a problem collecting the jewels." said Jackie.

"What kind of problem?" asked Cheese.

"That spider girl showed up and took them from us." said Ru.

"Tarantula?! *growls* Alright that's it. This girl is getting too much buzz in the media. It's time to crack down on her." said Cheese.

"How are you gonna do that?" asked Ru.

"You let me worry about that. You two are done for the day. Go on." said Cheese.

Jackie and Ru looked at each other and then left the office, without another word.

* * *

Later that morning, at the jewelry shop...

"*hears bell ring as the door is opened* Hello! Welcome to..."

The store owner stood there in surprise at who was at the door.

"T-T-Tarantula?" said the store owner in disbelief.

Tarantula smiled and limped towards the store owner. Her ankle was still injured.

"*puts the sacks of jewels on the counter* Here's your jewels back Miss." said Tarantula.

"Oh thank you! You should be called the Angel. Don't let what others say about you get you down. There are people in this city who really appreciate you." said the store owner.

"I know. That's one of the reasons why I'm doing this. *notices the bandages around her head* How's your head?" asked Tarantula.

"Oh! My head is fine! Just a slight concussion. I wish I could've given that ruffian who came in here yesterday a piece of my mind!" said the store owner.

"Don't worry Miss. He got what was coming to him." said Tarantula.

"He got arrested?" asked the store owner hopeful.

"Well...he's definitely taking a rest." said Tarantula.

"Hmph. Serves him right! Young lady, never give up on this city, cause this city will never give up on you." said the store owner.

"Thanks Miss. I'll remember that." said Tarantula, as she and the store owner shared a hug.

"Oh! I want you to have this!" said the store owner, as she presented Tarantula with a silver coated bracelet with a purple jewel in the center.

"Oh Miss, I couldn't-"

"Please Tarantula. This bracelet is special like you. I know you don't understand now but trust me. You'll need it to stand firm in the toughest of times." said the store owner.

"*sighs* Okay. Thank you Miss." said Tarantula, as she put the bracelet on.

"Please. Call me Julie." said Julie.

"Okay Ms. Julie. See you around!" said Tarantula, as she rushed out the shop.

Julie waved goodbye as Tarantula swung through the city streets, heading back home.

* * *

**The plot thickens...**

**It looks like Ronnie Anne has gotten her first clue of finding out who runs "the system" of Great Lakes City. That person is also looking to find out more about her though.**

**Their paths are bound to cross someday, but for now, we'll have to follow along on the journey. What adventure will Ronnie Anne have next? Find out on the next _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales!_**

**Thank you all for reading and I'll see y'all next time.**


	3. Episode 3: Sting Operation

**How's it goin' guys? It's been awhile since the last Tarantula's Tale. Even though I haven't posted anything in over a month, you guys still show your support for this series by leaving reviews. I just wanna thank all of you for sticking around. I got a lot of reviews on Episode 2, but I'm only going to highlight a few.**

**REVIEWS**

**wollyworld - You're welcome!**

**allanarcher777 - Yeah the stakes in Great Lakes are definitely higher than Royal Woods. The criminals here definitely don't mess around.**

**J - Yeah I wondered how that part of the episode would be perceived. I hope it didn't scare you or anything. I want this side series to be a bit edgier than SLTS. However, I know there may be times where I may overstep the line a bit. I'll try to be more conscious of that going forward.**

**Nick Name - Yup! The Cycles were definitely referenced and will be officially introduced later on this season. Firearm can be used as a joke for Ru Bing's character, but I kinda want him to keep the name he has. Ru Bing is named after the Rubing cheese from China. The word can be read as "rubbing", which refers to his ability to set his arm on fire by rubbing it to produce friction.**

**JTWAS1994 - Madame Butterfly? Yeah, you'll see her soon. Sooner than you think. :)**

**Guest - Your idea of animal themed villains is interesting. I'll keep it in mind. I'm glad you enjoyed the moment between Tarantula and Julie. As for the bracelet...you may be onto something. :)**

**Guest - Ouch! That upgrade for Jackie Knife sounds painful. Which makes it perfect for her character! Thanks for your suggestion!**

**There were a lot of reviews that were talking about the new Casagrande story arc that opened up Season 4 of the Loud House. I've seen the arc and let me just say that I was amazed at how much I enjoyed each episode. If The Casagrandes' episodes are anything like these, I'm definitely going to be tuning into the show. With that said, I'm going to do my best to incorporate as much of the new elements into this series as I possibly can. Look out guys, Ronnie Anne's world just got a whole lot bigger!**

**Alright, I think it's time to start the episode. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: Credit goes to a guest review for this episode's villain** **and premise.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 3: Sting Operation**

"So, you need to get rid of a pest? You weren't really that clear over the phone." said the Exterminator.

"Ah yes. I apologize. I needed to keep our conversation brief for um...legal reasons." said Madame Butterfly.

"You in trouble with the law or somethin'? You can tell me. I don't really care. I've been there lady." said the Exterminator.

"Please, call me Madame, and if it's alright with you, I just need you to help me with this job. No questions?" said Madame Butterfly.

"Alright. As long as I get paid. So what we dealing with? Roaches? Gnats? Moths? I can handle termites too, though I don't see no wood nowhere." said the Exterminator, looking around.

"*clears throat* I have a bit of a _spider _problem." said Madame Butterfly.

"Ah-ha! My specialty. Where is the scum? I have my fumigator stuff all ready." said the Exterminator.

"Oh, you won't be needing that." said Madame Butterfly.

"Why not? *hears some buzzing noise around him* Hey, you got a _mosquito_ problem too?" asked the Exterminator.

"You could say that." said Madame Butterfly.

Suddenly, Mosquito appeared out of nowhere and jump kicked the Exterminator in the chest. The force of the kick sent him flying into a chamber.

"*coughs* Hey! What's the big ide-"

The chamber door was suddenly closed on him. Madame Butterfly then pulled down a lever that was attached to it and a serum started flowing into the chamber.

"Ack! This stuff is cold! Hey! Get me out of here!" exclaimed the Exterminator.

"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Zapp, but this is necessary for you to complete the task I have for you." said Madame Butterfly.

Suddenly, the serum stopped flowing into the chamber and the chamber door opened. The Exterminator emerged from the chamber but he looked way different from how he went in.

He was now half-man/half-spider. He had four giant spider legs protruding from his abdomen, fangs at the corners of his mouth, and an extra eye joined to both of his eyeballs.

"Ugh! I feel weird...*looks down and sees the spider legs* What the heck?! What did you do to me?! You turned me into a freak!" exclaimed the Exterminator.

"No. I turned you into a hunter. Your DNA has been fused with a Huntsman spider's DNA, among the larger species of arachnids." said Madame Butterfly.

"And how's this supposed to help me catch a spider?" asked the Exterminator.

"For the spider you need to catch, you'll need to be equipped with more than just some bug spray." said Mosquito.

"What, is this a super spider or something?" asked the Exterminator.

"Yes, actually. Have you ever heard of _Tarantula?_" asked Madame Butterfly.

"Tarantula? That spider freak? Of course I've heard of her! She's always in the news! Along with another _group of metas _in Royal Woods." said the Exterminator.

"So then, you understand what I need you to do." said Madame Butterfly.

"You want me to exterminate this spider." said the Exterminator.

"Not quite. Or at least, maybe not yet. I need you to bring her back here alive so that I can extract the DNA that she stole from me. Once I have that, you can do whatever you want with her." said Madame Butterfly.

"*snickers* Sounds good to me. Where do I find her?" asked the Exterminator.

"She lives in the southern part of Great Lakes City. I've had one of my larvinauts conducting surveillance of her for awhile now. Here's the feed." said Madame Butterfly, as she handed the Exterminator a tablet which displayed the larvinaut's camera feed.

"Alright. And I still get paid for this?" asked the Exterminator.

"Yes. After you complete the job. Oh and one more thing. If anyone asks who you are, your name is _Huntspider. _We don't need to give anyone a lead to trace this back to us." said Madame Butterfly.

"Alright Madame. I'll get this spider off the streets." said Huntspider, heading for the exit.

Madame Butterfly just smirked to herself as he left.

* * *

Meanwhile at Great Lakes Central Park...

*Nikki skates off a ramp and performs a trick in the air*

"Alright Nikki!" cheered Sameer.

"Yo! That was awesome!" said Casey.

"*lands back on the ramp and skates down* Thanks guys. Hey, here comes Santiago." said Nikki.

Casey and Sameer turned around to see Ronnie Anne approaching them with a new face following her.

"What's up Ronnie Anne?" said Casey.

"Hey Case. Sameer. Nikki. This is Sid. She just moved into the apartment above mine." said Ronnie Anne.

"Nice to meet you guys! That was a sweet move you just did Nikki! Can I try?" asked Sid.

"Uh, sure. I don't see why not." said Nikki, as she gave Sid her skateboard.

Sid then took off to the skate ramp and attempted to perform the trick, but ended up losing the board in the air.

*Ronnie Anne, Casey, Sameer, and Nikki wince as Sid falls to the ground*

"Ow! I'm okay guys! *picks up skateboard* Guess I need more practice." said Sid.

"*laughs* You're on the right track though. One of the most important rules about being a skater is that you always get back up." said Nikki.

"Yeah, Sid's not one to quit. This girl will try anything." said Ronnie Anne.

"Sounds cool to me! Welcome to the club Sid!" said Casey, offering a fist bump.

"*returns the fist bump* Thanks!" said Sid.

"You wanna try again Sid?" asked Nikki.

"Sure!" said Sid, as she skated off once more.

"So Ronnie, does she know too?" asked Casey.

"Know what?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"You know Santiago." said Nikki.

"Nah, I haven't told her and I don't think I should." said Ronnie Anne.

"Why not?" asked Sameer.

"Sid's sweet and kinda innocent and I don't wanna put her in the danger that we're in. Madame Butterfly's still out there y'know." said Ronnie Anne.

"Man, we haven't seen or heard from that insect lady ever since she disappeared." said Casey.

"That doesn't mean we let our guard down. At any moment we could-"

Ronnie Anne's spider senses suddenly kicked in as she backflipped over an acid projectile.

"Whoa! Where'd that come from?" said Casey.

"Uh, that thing I think!" said Sameer terrified.

Huntspider suddenly emerged from the nearby bushes and started approaching the posse.

"(to larvinaut) Thanks ya little bugger. *turns his attention to Ronnie Anne* Ronnie Anne is it? You're coming with me." said Huntspider, as he suddenly spit an acid venom projectile at Ronnie Anne again.

Ronnie Anne dodged the projectile again and realized this fight was going to get ugly.

"*turns around and sees what's going on* What the heck?" said Sid confused.

Sid suddenly put on a determined face as she skated back over to her friends.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne was still busy dodging Huntspider's acid venom.

"*grunts* You are a tough little spider to catch aren't ya?" said Huntspider, as he suddenly shot out a web from his hand that stuck to Ronnie Anne's shoulder.

Ronnie Anne shot out a web that hit a nearby lamppost and she swung over to it, breaking Huntspider's web attachment in the process.

"*perched atop the lamppost* Guys! You gotta get out of here!" shouted Ronnie Anne.

"Ronnie Anne! What's going on? What are you doing?!" asked Sid.

"I don't have time to explain Sid!" said Ronnie Anne.

Huntspider suddenly shot an acid venom projectile at the lamppost which caused it to start falling. Ronnie Anne leaped off of it and took off into the air.

_"So much for keeping it a secret..."_ thought Ronnie Anne, as she suddenly activated her pendant.

She landed right in front of Sid and the others. Only she was now dressed as Tarantula.

Sid was at a loss for words as to what had just happened. However, she didn't have time to inquire about it as the battle was on again.

"*dodges another acid venom projectile* Go! Now! Please! Guys! Take Sid with you!" exclaimed Tarantula.

"Come on Sid, we gotta go." said Nikki, pulling on Sid's arm.

"But, but-"

Sid's "buts" were cut short as she was led out of the park by Nikki, Sameer, and Casey.

As soon as they were gone, Huntspider caught Tarantula off guard, and pulled her to him using a rope-like web.

"It's tough being a superhero when you put your friends in danger huh? I tell you, this meta gig ain't worth it kid." said Huntspider.

Tarantula didn't respond. She suddenly flipped upside down while caught in Huntspider's web, and kicked him in his chin. This caught Huntspider off guard, which allowed Tarantula to break free of his web.

"I'm the web slinger around here alright?" said Tarantula, as she shot out four webs that attached to each of Huntspider's spider legs.

She then proceeded to swing Huntspider around until she suddenly let him go flying. He landed on a bird fountain and ended up breaking it. Before he could get up, Tarantula quickly webbed him up in a cocoon.

"*dusts off her hands* You need to work out more tubby." said Tarantula.

Sirens were suddenly heard approaching the park.

"That's my cue to leave! *lookks back at Huntspider* Oof. Tough break." said Tarantula, as she shot out a web and started swinging away from the park.

Huntspider continued to struggle against his trappings when he suddenly had an idea. He spit acid venom on the webs that had him trapped and they quickly disintegrated.

The police suddenly arrived, guns already drawn, but all they found was a park in disarray.

* * *

Meanwhile at Nikki's house...

"*knocks on door and opens it* Nikki? Can I come in?" asked Nikki's dad.

"Sure dad." said Nikki.

"I brought some snacks for you guys. I don't really know what you kids eat." said Nikki's dad.

"Thanks Mr. Young." said Casey, as he took some chips.

"Hey dad, if you don't mind, me and my friends have to talk about something." said Nikki.

"Oh yeah, of course Nikk! I have to go to work in a bit so uh, you hold the place down for me alright?" said Nikki's dad.

"You got it Dad." said Nikki.

"Alright, see you kids later." said Nikki's dad, as he left the room.

"Yo, your dad is cool Nikki!" said Casey.

"Yeah I know right?" said Nikki.

"Hey, are you okay Sid?" asked Sameer concerned.

The attention suddenly shifted to Sid, who had been huddled in the corner of the room for awhile now.

"Wh-What happened out there? I didn't just see that! My best friend is not Tarantula!" said Sid.

"I'm afraid she is Sid." said Tarantula, as she suddenly entered the room from Nikki's bedroom window.

Sid watched as Tarantula deactivated her pendant and turned back into Ronnie Anne.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." said Ronnie Anne.

"How long have you been Tarantula?" asked Sid.

"For about a month now." said Ronnie Anne.

"What happened?" asked Sid.

"It's a long story Sid and it'll take awhile to explain. I can't stay here too long. Madame Butterfly has her larvinauts keeping tabs on me. I spotted one when that spider guy showed up." said Ronnie Anne.

"So she's back huh?" asked Casey.

"Looks like it. I need to review my goggle footage to see if I can use anything to track her down." said Ronnie Anne.

"Wait. Who's Madame Butterfly?" asked Sid confused.

"She used to run these labs called Chrysalize Inc., but they got shut down because of some dangerous experiments. Anyway, we went over there because I had a feeling the labs weren't really shut down." said Nikki.

"Long story short: They weren't. We barely made it out of there without being blasted to bits by her mini robots." said Casey.

"And somewhere along the way, I accidentally fell into one of her chamber things and got stuck with spider powers. That's the reason why she's after me." said Ronnie Anne.

"She's not gonna stop until she gets Ronnie Anne's DNA." said Sameer.

"And she'll do whatever she can to get it. Looks like she hired someone else to track me down." said Ronnie Anne.

"What happened to that guy anyway?" asked Nikki.

"Oh, I dealt with him. Left him webbed up in Central Park." said Ronnie Anne.

At this point, the scene suddenly switched to show Ronnie Anne and friends on a computer monitor. They were being watched by Madame Butterfly, who had a larvinaut secretly watching them.

*Huntspider suddenly enters the room*

"Took you long enough." said Madame Butterfly.

"Hey, my van ain't the fastest." said Huntspider.

"So now you see what you're up against. To catch this spider girl you need to hit her where it hurts. Surprise attacks won't work on her." said Madame Butterfly.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Attack her family?" asked Huntspider.

"No, I already did that. This hit has to be fast, unexpected, and especially hurtful. *points to Sid on the monitor* You see that girl? I want you to kidnap her. She seems to be very close to Ronnie Anne. She should be very effective in luring her here." said Madame Butterfly.

"You sure about this? I'm just an exterminator." said Huntspider.

"No, you're a hunter now. Now get out there and hunt!" said Madame Butterfly.

"*grumbles* I better be getting paid for this." said Huntspider, as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

"Hey Ronnie Anne, you might wanna take a look at this." said Carlos, looking at Tarantula's goggle camera footage.

"*appears upside down from the ceiling* What is it?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Ahh! Please, don't do that." said Carlos.

"Sorry Uncle Carlos." said Ronnie Anne, as she sat down beside Carlos.

"That's alright. Take a look at this. That van in the background. I ran a search for companies with a matching logo and came back with a local exterminator in Royal Woods. _Bruno Zapp._" said Carlos.

"Huh. Never heard of the guy. Maybe my friend Lincoln has." said Ronnie Anne, as she called Lincoln.

"*picks up his phone and answers it* Hello?" said Lincoln.

"Hey Lincoln. You got a minute?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Yeah sure. What's up?" said Lincoln.

"Do you know a guy named Bruno Zapp? Exterminator?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Uh, yeah. He came by my house once to kill our class' pet spider. He really hates them." said Lincoln.

"I can see that. He's trying to take me out for Madame Butterfly. I think she gave him the "insect treatment" too." said Ronnie Anne.

"Whoa. You mean he has powers?" asked Lincoln.

"He's a walking spider. Spider legs and all. He looks like an experiment gone wrong." said Ronnie Anne.

"This sounds serious Ronnie. You want me to see if Thunder can help out?" asked Lincoln.

"Nah, your fam doesn't have to drive all the way over here for this. I've got it." said Ronnie Anne.

"You sure?" asked Lincoln.

"Yeah, I-"

Ronnie Anne was suddenly cut off as various screams were heard from the apartment above hers.

"Sounds like trouble." said Carlos.

"*taps at window with spider leg* Hey! Spider freak! I've got your bestie! Isn't that what y'all say? Anyway, if you want her back, you better start moving!" said Huntspider, as he started swinging away from the building.

"Help!" exclaimed Sid, in peril.

"Lincoln, I gotta go." said Ronnie Anne.

"What's going on?" asked Lincoln.

"Nothing I can't handle." said Ronnie Anne, as she hung up.

"Here's your goggles back. I'll tell the others you might be late for dinner." said Carlos.

"Thanks Carlos!" said Ronnie Anne, as she activated her pendant and turned into Tarantula.

Tarantula then swung out of the window and into the city.

* * *

Meanwhile with Huntspider...

*Huntspider and Sid land atop a building*

"*gets webbed to an AC unit* What do you want with me?!" exclaimed Sid.

"Nothing. I'm just here for your friend." said Huntspider.

"Leave Ronnie Anne alone!" said Sid, visibly angry.

"*smirks* Cute. Now, where is-"

Huntspider was suddenly cut off by a jump kick to the face, courtesy of Tarantula.

"*spits* Right on time." said Huntspider.

"I'ma tell you this once you creep! Let my friend go before this gets ugly." said Tarantula.

"It was already ugly when you showed your face around here!" said Huntspider.

"You wanna try looking in a mirror?" said Tarantula.

At this point, Huntspider and Tarantula entered a standoff of sorts. Both stared each other down intently. Suddenly, they both ran towards one another and began melee fighting.

"*swinging at Tarantula* You think you're special? All you metas are all the same! Playing hero, thinking you're important!" said Huntspider.

"*dodging Huntspider's swings* I'm not playing anything! This city needs me. And they've got me whether they like it or not!" said Tarantula.

"Oh yeah? Well they're not gonna have you for too much longer." said Huntspider, as he suddenly shot a web at Tarantula's left foot and pulled on it quickly, causing her to trip and fall to the ground.

Once on the ground, Huntspider proceeded to spit acid venom at Tarantula, as she struggled to get up from the ground.

"Come on Ronnie! You've got this!" said Sid, still trapped.

"*laughs* Give up little spider. You've got nowhere to go." said Huntspider, putting Tarantula in a corner.

Huntspider then spit acid venom at Tarantula once more, but it was suddenly blocked by an electric shield.

"Wh-What?" said Huntspider, in shock.

"I'd say a witty line here, but your face is priceless. I'll take that free of charge!" said Lightning.

"Dude, you've gotta stop doing this." said Tarantula.

"Hey, you hung up on me! In superhero code that means I'm obligated to help!" said Lightning.

"There's a superhero code?" said Tarantula.

"Yeah there's- *blasts Huntspider with electricity* You know what? I'll tell you later." said Lightning.

"Good call." said Tarantula, back on her feet.

"Two metas now huh? You just don't know when to quit do you?" said Huntspider, as he swung at Lightning with one of spider legs.

"*dodges attack* Nope!" said Lightning, as he shocked Huntspider with electricity.

"*shoots webs at his face to blind him* But apparently you don't either." said Tarantula, as she shot two webs behind Huntspider, and propelled herself forward.

She kicked Huntspider right in the stomach and then flipped off of him. Huntspider fell to his knees in pain, as Lighting trapped him using his trademark electric ropes.

"*tries to escape the ropes but gets shocked* Agh! Get this stuff off my face!" said Huntspider.

"Why don't you melt it off Zapp?" said Lightning, taunting him.

*Tarantula frees Sid from the webs using her acid venom*

"*hugs Tarantula* Thanks for saving me Ronnie." said Sid.

"Hey, don't mention it Sid. Listen, we need to talk later alright?" said Tarantula.

"Alright." said Sid.

"*hears sirens approaching* We better get out of here Lightning. The police don't really welcome metas around here." said Tarantula.

"Alright. I guess I'll head back home then." said Lightning, turning to leave.

"Hey Lightning...thanks for your help." said Tarantula.

"Anytime." said Lightning, as he "flowed" into a nearby power line and left the area.

Tarantula and Sid left the area as well, leaving Huntspider trapped and stranded for real this time.

* * *

Later that evening, outside Ronnie Anne's room...

"Wow. So that's why you're doing this. Madame Butterfly has your brother." said Sid.

"Yup. And I can't give up. No matter how tough it gets. I have to find him." said Ronnie Anne.

"Well, if you ever need any help, you can always count on me!" said Sid.

"Sid, I appreciate the generosity, but I don't wanna put you in any more danger than I already have today." said Ronnie Anne.

"It's okay Ronnie. I wanna help you. I know it's gonna be dangerous but you're my best friend. And best friends always look out for each other." said Sid.

Ronnie Anne sat in silence for a moment.

"Ronnie?" said Sid.

"Well, you already know my secret so, why not? Welcome to the team Sid. Well, there wasn't really a team but-"

"We could form a team! It could be you, me, Nikki, Casey, and Sameer! Now all we need is a name!" said Sid, starting to brainstorm.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down Sid. Let's just take it easy for tonight. We'll talk about this some more another time." said Ronnie Anne.

"Alright Ronnie, good night." said Sid, climbing the fire escape stairs to her bedroom.

"Night Sid." said Ronnie Anne, as she settled into bed.

"Yes, sweet dreams Ronnie Anne. Enjoy it while it lasts." said Madame Butterfly, watching Ronnie Anne through the monitor again.

*Mosquito enters the room*

"What's the status?" asked Madame Butterfly.

"Huntspider's been arrested." said Mosquito.

"Of course he has, amateur. I wasted perfectly good DNA on him! That's the last time I entertain business from Royal Woods." said Madame Butterfly.

"So what now?" asked Mosquito.

"We continue to wait. Ronnie Anne doesn't know it yet, but she has unknowingly triggered the butterfly effect. Sooner or later all the pieces will fall into place and when they do, I'll finally have my spider right in the palm of my hand." said Madame Butterfly.

Madame Butterfly continued to stare at a sleeping Ronnie Anne through her monitor, smiling sinisterly.

* * *

**Wow! A lot sure happened in this episode! Madame Butterfly has returned, although not to the public as yet. Sid Chang has also made her debut and now knows Ronnie Anne's secret.**

**There is so much more planned for this series in the future. You guys will just have to stick around for more! I hope you all enjoyed Episode 3! Let me know what you thought in a review and I'll see you all next time!**

**Next time, it's _Thunder _time.**


	4. Episode 4: A Rough Patch

**Wow. We're already on Episode 4! This series is really coming along! Before we jump into another _Tarantula's Tale_, let's read those reviews!**

**REVIEWS**

**Guest - The poison villain idea sounds interesting. I'll keep it in mind. I really hope Sid and the kids from City Slickers interact in the actual show. It would be really cool to see.**

**Matthew Crispin - In terms of which group of criminals is more dangerous I can't say for sure, but Great Lakes' villains are definitely gonna be more sinister.**

**J - Yeah I completely understand. I** **hope I don't scare anybody away by being too violent in these stories. I want it to be action packed but I believe there's a line somewhere. I'm not sure what's gonna happen to Zapp right now. He'll probably be back. Just not sure when.**

**Casa-G Fanboy - I had to include Sid. She's too good of a character not to have in this series! I plan on having Ronnie Anne's other neighbors show up as well.**

**Nick Name - Well, Bloodcurdle doesn't have to be announced publicly. It could be a name contained within Big Cheese's empire. Catalyst doesn't sound bad though. I don't know, I'll think about it some more or you can suggest another name if you want.**

**What adventure will Tarantula have this time? Let's find out! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: Credit goes to Indy Scott for this episode's villain. Credit also goes to a Guest for a new character idea.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House. All rights** **belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 4: A Rough Patch**

"Ouch!"

"Hold still cous! Just a few more stitches!" said Carlota.

"Could you hurry it up? This dress is starting to get a little hot." said Ronnie Anne, visibly sweating.

"Hey Ronnie Anne! What's going on?" asked Sid, suddenly entering the room.

"*sighs* Carlota has me modeling this stupid dress..." said Ronnie Anne.

"This stupid dress is my entry for Fashion Network's Teen Fashionista contest! The winning dress gets featured on the cover of their magazine and the winner also gets $2000!" said Carlota.

"Whoa! That's awesome! Well, good luck Carlota! You've got some real talent!" said Sid.

"Thanks Sid. Alright Ronnie, this is the last stitch. There! Now spin around for me?" said Carlota.

Ronnie Anne spun around in the dress, but it was clear that she was uncomfortable for some reason.

"Hmm. Something wrong cous?" asked Carlota.

"Yeah! This dress is way too hot! And not in the good way! I feel like I'm about to catch heat stroke from this thing!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Well, the dress is made of leather so it's absorbing a lot of heat. Maybe you should add some air holes to it Carlota." said Sid.

"Air holes...air holes...Ah-ha! I could use this mesh! I'd just have to undo some stitches. I have to hurry though." said Carlota.

"Why? When do you have to send this dress in?" asked Sid.

"Today! A truck's supposed to be picking it up in a few hours!" said Carlota.

"Oh boy." said Sid.

"Come on Ronnie, let's make this quick!" said Carlota, getting to work undoing stitches.

* * *

Later that day, at Fashion Network Headquarters...

"Where is Donahue? She's fifteen minutes late for this presentation!" said the President.

"Well, you know how unorganized she is Ms. Braxton." said the Vice President.

*doors burst open*

"Sorry I'm late Ms. Braxton! I was just putting some finishing touches on the-"

"I don't care to hear your excuses Ms. Donahue. Just present your piece!" said Ms. Braxton.

"Right. *clears throat* Presenting Rachel Donahue's newest creation in leather fashion!" said Rachel Donahue.

The lights in the meeting room were suddenly dimmed as the lights focused on the runway in the center of the room. A model suddenly appeared from the back area and walked the runway wearing a black leather dress with frills at the skirt and a black bow tied around its waist.

*lights turn back on and the whole room is in silence*

"...Well um, what do you think?" asked Rachel.

"To be honest Ms. Donahue, it's nothing I haven't seen before. I mean, even your model doesn't want to wear your dress! Look at her face!" said Ms. Braxton.

"My dear, is she sweating?" asked the Vice President.

"I'm sorry, but this dress is really hot! It's sticking to my skin!" said the model.

"Darn it! I thought for sure I got rid of that sticking problem!" said Rachel, to herself.

"Poor child, go take the dress off before you catch heat stroke! *sighs* Ms. Donahue honestly, I really feel like you're not...trying...um, excuse me? You!" said Ms. Braxton.

"Huh? You called me Miss?" asked a worker, who was wheeling some dresses past the meeting room.

"Yes...where did you get this dress?" asked Ms. Braxton.

"Oh, that was submitted by one of the Teen Fashionista contestants. The name tag's on the hem of the dress." said the worker.

"_Carlota Casagrande. _Wow! Now this is how you make a dress! It's all leather, but she had the creative insight to add mesh air pockets to the skirt and waistline of the dress! And look at the shoulders! Such beautiful frills! Someone get me this girl! She's a top level fashion designer!" said Ms. Braxton impressed.

"Ms. Braxton! Wait a second! I can edit my dress to match that. Just give me a day and I'll-"

"Enough Ms. Donahue. I don't want to hear it. This is the dress that'll be featured on the cover of our next magazine!" said Ms. Braxton.

"But, but-Wait! I can fix it, I promise you! Let me just run to my office and-Whoa!" exclaimed Rachel, as she tripped and fell into cart full of loose thread, being wheeled by the meeting room.

Her fall into the cart gave it momentum as it rolled down the hallway. Rachel screamed as the cart collided into a shelf, on which fabric chemicals were being stored. The impact of the crash caused the chemicals on the top shelf to fall, and they fell into the cart, the fluids soaking into Rachel's skin.

"My cart!" exclaimed the worker who was wheeling the loose thread around.

"Ms. Donahue, are you alright?" asked a male intern.

"Someone call 911! She needs to be treated for those chemical burns." said a female intern.

Rachel just sat there in the cart, trying to understand what just happened.

* * *

Later that night, at the Casagrandes...

*cat scratches and screams are heard followed by rapid banging on the front door*

"Hello?...Whoa..." said Ronnie Anne shocked.

"Hi. *gulps* Did you know there's a gang of savage cats outside your apartment?" asked the Vice President, looking rather frazzled.

"Yeah. They're usually around at night. I guess they got you huh?" said Ronnie Anne, trying to lighten the mood.

The Vice President just stood there in awkward silence.

"Ronnie Anne? Who are you taking to? Oh. Hello. Who are you?" asked Maria.

"I'm Zoey Robinson, vice president of Fashion Network. I'm looking for a Ms. Carlota Casagrande?" said Ms. Robinson.

"Carlota?" said Maria.

"Yes Auntie?" said Carlota.

"Come here for a second please?" said Maria.

"Yes?...Hi." said Carlota, staring wide eyed at Ms. Robinson.

"Are you Carlota?" asked Ms. Robinson.

"Yes, I am." said Carlota.

"On behalf of Ms. Braxton, president of Fashion Network, we officially declare you as the winner of the Teen Fashionista contest!" said Ms. Robinson, as she gave Carlota the cash prize.

"Oh my gosh! Are you serious?" said Carlota.

"It gets better honey. Ms. Braxton was so impressed with your work, she's offering you a position as our lead teen fashion designer!" said Ms. Robinson.

"Get out!" exclaimed Carlota excited.

"What's going on honey?" asked Frida, now joining the group.

"Mom! I just won the Teen Fashionista contest! And guess what? The president is offering me a job as a teen fashion designer!" said Carlota.

"Oh that's wonderful honey! Congratulations!" said Frida, as she brought her daughter in for a hug.

"You can come by the headquarters tomorrow. Just ask for Ms. Braxton at the front desk and I'll come down to escort you. See you tomorrow Ms. Carlota!" said Ms. Robinson, turning to leave.

"Thank you so much!" said Carlota, closing the door behind her.

"Congratulations Carlota. I'm happy for you." said Ronnie Anne.

"Thanks cous!" said Carlota.

Suddenly, a shrill scream was heard outside the apartment. Ronnie Anne looked out the window to see Ms. Robinson running away from the street cats.

"*shakes her head* Totally forgot about the cats." said Ronnie Anne.

Meanwhile, across town...

*Rachel staggers into her apartment and shuts the door*

"*kicks off her shoes* I don't want to do anything but relax..." said Rachel, as she approached her couch.

As she walked across her carpeted floor, she could tell she was being met with some type of resistance.

"What the?" said Rachel, as it appeared that the carpet had attached itself to the bottoms of her feet.

"Why is this carpet sticking to me?" Rachel asked herself.

She started hopping over to her countertop in the hopes of freeing her feet from the carpet. She placed her hands on a nearby dishcloth for a split second, but it was enough for it to become attached to her hands as well.

"Oh no...What is going on? Get off my hands!" said Rachel, getting stressed.

She tried pulling her hands free of the dishcloth, but when she pulled back, it was revealed that it's threads had become interwoven with her hands.

"No...this isn't right. Something's wrong!" said Rachel, as she started getting freaked out.

She stumbled back and tripped over a basket of laundry, which ended up spilling onto her.

*Rachel lets out muffled screams beneath the laundry pile*

Suddenly, the laundry pile started to unravel, as clothes began breaking down into loose thread. This loose thread began attaching itself to Rachel's skin, eventually becoming her skin. Once the pile disappeared, Rachel got up and looked at her hands and feet. She was understandably freaked out and ran into her bathroom to check her mirror.

"AAAAHHH!" screamed Rachel horrified.

* * *

The next day, at Fashion Network...

"I was really impressed with your designs Carlota. Your creativity is just what we need in our teen fashion division." said Ms. Braxton.

"Well I'm honored to have this opportunity Ms. Braxton. I promise I won't let you down." said Carlota.

"Happy to hear it dear. Now, I have a lot of work to do. Ms. Robinson? Would you mind showing Ms. Carlota around?" asked Ms. Braxton.

"Of course! Right this- *doors suddenly forced open* way..." said Ms. Robinson.

Suddenly, all attention was turned to the doors and standing there was none other than Rachel. Her skin was now entirely made of loose thread. At the top of her head, there was a knot where a ponytail, also made of fabric, was attached.

"R-Rachel?" said Ms. Robinson in shock.

"Yes! It's me!" said Rachel.

"What happened to you?" asked Ms. Braxton.

"I don't know! I went home yesterday and fabric kept attaching itself to me! It won't come off!" exclaimed Rachel.

"Okay Ms. Donahue, calm down. Let's think about this for a second." said Ms. Braxton.

"Ms. Braxton, I need help! This was caused by that accident I had yesterday!" said Rachel.

"*scoffs* That accident happened on your own accord. We're not liable for that." said Ms. Braxton.

"What?! It happened in your workplace!" said Rachel.

"So I've heard. I didn't see it happen." said Ms. Braxton.

"Wha? How could you? You owe me!" exclaimed Rachel.

"I don't owe you a thing Ms. Donahue. You had a freak out yesterday that got you in the situation you're in now. Now please, go take care of yourself and don't come back until you get that fabric off of you." said Ms. Braxton.

"It can't come off! You wanna try?!" said Rachel, as she approached Ms. Braxton.

"Ms. Donahue. Please keep your distance." said Ms. Braxton.

"You're scared of me aren't you? You don't want this accident to get out in the news! How Fashion Network's president let one of her fashion designers become a patched up ragdoll!" exclaimed Rachel furious.

"Freeze!"

"Don't move!"

Suddenly, two security guards began tasing Rachel. However, the electricity didn't seem to be affecting her.

"Didn't you meat heads ever take science? Fabric is a poor conductor of electricity!" said Rachel, as she detached the taser darts from herself.

"Ms. Donahue, please. Let's try to be rational." said Ms. Robinson, trying to reason with Rachel, as she lightly held her right arm.

"Don't touch me!" said Rachel, as she grabbed Ms. Robinson with her other arm and suddenly trapped her in fabric.

"Ms. Robinson!" exclaimed Ms. Braxton in shock.

"Alright, that's it!" said one of the security guards, as he approached Rachel to try and apprehend her.

Rachel grabbed the security guard by one of his shirt sleeves and began unraveling it.

"Hey! This is my only dress shirt!" said the security guard.

Once the security guard had been robbed of his shirt, Rachel used the shirt thread and some fabric from herself to make a rope.

"*ties the rope around the guards* There! I just roped y'all in!" said Rachel. "Now...Ms. Braxton..." said Rachel, in a sinister tone.

"No...stay away from me!" exclaimed Ms. Braxton.

Rachel unraveled the material of the rug on her floor and then used it to ensnare her.

*Ms. Braxton is stuck in a rolled up carpet*

"Carlota! Run! Call the police dear!" exclaimed Ms. Braxton.

"Carlota?" said Rachel.

Rachel suddenly remembered that name from yesterday.

"It's you! You're the girl who upstaged me yesterday!" said Rachel angered.

"Look, miss, I don't know what you're talking about but-Aah!"

Carlota nearly dodged one of Rachel's fabric traps.

"Okay, I'm just gonna go!" said Carlota, as she frantically ran out of Ms. Braxton's office.

"Get back here!" exclaimed Rachel, as she gave chase after her.

Carlota ran down the hallway, panting heavily.

"I gotta call Ronnie." said Carlota, as she dialed Ronnie Anne's number.

Ronnie is playing a game on her phone when it suddenly starts ringing.

"Hey Carlota. What's up?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Ronnie! I need your help!" exclaimed Carlota.

"What's the problem?" asked Ronnie Anne, getting concerned.

"There's this crazy lady who can control fabric! She's trapped the president and vice president of Fashion Network! Now she's after me and trapping anybody else who gets in her way!" said Carlota.

The scene switches back to show Rachel trapping random workers with a variety of different fabrics. From yarn, to wool, even fur.

"Please Ronnie, you've got to help me!" said Carlota.

"Don't worry cousin. I'll be there." said Ronnie Anne.

"Thanks Ro-Whoa!"

"Carlota?" said Ronnie Anne worried.

Rachel had tripped Carlota down using some loose strands of cotton.

"Ms. Braxton must think I'm a _loose thread_. *smirks* After I'm done with you, she'll see I'm her _strongest stitch._" said Rachel, as she tied Carlota up using the cotton and some of her fabric.

"Carlota?" said Ronnie Anne again.

Carlota's line suddenly disconnected.

"Someone's got a spider bite with their name on it!" said Ronnie Anne, as she activated her pendant and turned into Tarantula.

* * *

A few minutes later at Fashion Network Headquarters...

*Tarantula swings into the building through a broken window*

"Hello? Is anyone here?" asked Tarantula.

"Someone help!"

"Please help me!

"Up here!"

Tarantula quickly ascended the stairs and found herself on the top floor, where she found a bunch of trapped employees.

"Yikes. It looks like a fashion disaster in here." said Tarantula.

Tarantula took a step forward and realized she stepped on something. She stepped back and realized that it was Carlota's phone. She picked it up and examined it.

_"Carlota...where'd she go?" asked Tarantula, in her thoughts._

Suddenly, police sirens were heard outside the building. Tarantula ran over to a window and saw police approaching the entrance. She also saw other police cars racing past the building, heading downtown.

"Where are those guys going?" said Tarantula, to herself.

"Hello? Tarantula? Are you gonna help us?" asked a male worker.

"Uh, sorry. I have to go. Don't worry though, the police will help you shortly." said Tarantula, as she kicked out a window and then swung through it, heading downtown.

Meanwhile with Rachel and Carlota...

"Stop! Stop! This is like way too high!" exclaimed Carlota frightened.

Rachel had taken her to the top of a billboard and tied her to the top of one of the posts.

"There! Now you can be the center of attention in every direction!" said Rachel.

"I never wanted to be the center of attention! I just sent a dress in for a contest! I didn't know it would make you look bad!" said Carlota.

"You made a fool of me! You know how long I've worked for that company? They've never given me the respect I deserve! And then you show up, Ms. "top level fashion designer", and suddenly Ms. Braxton fawns all over you! I've had it! This is the beginning of a new era for the Fashion Network." said Rachel.

Rachel started slowly unraveling Carlota's trap. Soon, there would be nothing tying her to the post and she would fall to the ground below.

"Miss please! Don't do this! I'm just a teenager! I was never going to upstage you!" said Carlota.

"Oh please! I know how this works. Sooner or later Ms. Braxton would've given you a promotion, made you chief fashion designer or something, and then you would become my boss! Imagine that? A child leading a grown woman! I won't have it!" said Rachel, as she continued to unravel Carlota's trappings.

*police suddenly arrive at the scene and push through the crowd*

"Give me a megaphone." said Richards, as one of his officers handed him a megaphone.

"Listen to me, uh, whatever you are. My men and I do not want to use force! So, let's avoid any unfortunate outcomes and please release the girl." said Richards.

"Well, I was trying to build up suspense but what the heck! *loosens Carlota from the post* Bye bye!" said Rachel.

Carlota screamed as she started falling to the ground. Suddenly, Tarantula swooped in and saved her from her fall.

"*panting heavily* Tarantula!" said Carlota relieved.

"Told you I'd be here." said Tarantula.

Just then, Tarantula's spider senses kicked in, and she pulled Carlota out the way to dodge another fabric trap.

"You idiot! She was supposed to die!" exclaimed Rachel, from atop the billboard.

"(whispered) Run home Carlota. I'll lead her away from here. (to Rachel) Hey! I don't know if you're trying to make a fashion statement, but what you just did was in poor taste!" said Tarantula.

"Oh shut up! What are you gonna do about it?" said Rachel.

Tarantula answered her question with a jump kick to her face.

"Alright. Now you're dead." said Rachel, as she leaped off of the billboard, in pursuit of Tarantula.

Rachel landed on a rooftop and started firing balls of fabric at Tarantula. Tarantula dodged these and these shot webs at Rachel. However, her webbing didn't stick to her.

"*laughs* I finally got rid of that sticking problem." said Rachel.

"Grr! You're a real piece of _work, _you know that? You're a _patched _up mess!" said Tarantula, punching and kicking away at her.

"Watch what you say girl. I put my _patches _to good _work! _Hmm. _Patchwork. _That's good!" said Rachel, now known as Patchwork.

Patchwork managed to grab hold of one of Tarantula's arms while she was swinging at her. She then started to unravel the fabric of her costume.

"Hey! This is mine!" exclaimed Tarantula, as she shot a web at her face in panic.

This made her lose concentration for a second to allow Tarantula to escape from her grasp. Tarantula looked at her costume and saw that her right sleeve and part of her hood was missing.

"Okay, it's time to trash some fashion." said Tarantula, entering a fighting stance.

"*makes a net with Tarantula's costume fabric* Come here you little insect! I've got a net just for you!" said Patchwork.

Tarantula then approached Patchwork who had her net open ready to catch Tarantula. Then, Tarantula leaped forward and burned through the net using the acid venom that came from her hands. She then shot an acid venom projectile that burned a hole through Patchwork.

*Tarantula lands on the rooftop after jumping through the hole she made in Patchwork*

"*grunts in pain* I can stitch this together!" said Patchwork, trying to keep herself from falling apart.

"Miss, it's over. You're falling apart." said Tarantula, as she shot out more acid venom projectiles at her.

The acid venom began eating away at her fabric bound body, and she slowly began to disintegrate. Patchwork stumbled back trying to collect herself and ended up falling backwards off of the roof. Tarantula watched as she fell into a dumpster in an alleyway below. The only remains of her were loose threads.

"Boy, she was really fashion crazy." said Tarantula, as she shot a web out and swung away from the scene.

As she left the area, the police arrived and Richards watched her leave. A scowl was plastered on his face.

* * *

Later that afternoon at the Casagrandes...

"There! That should fix your costume Ronnie." said Carlota, finishing the last stitch.

"Thanks Carlota." said Ronnie Anne, as she deactivated her pendant to don her regular attire again.

Just then, Carlota pulled Ronnie Anne into a big hug.

"What's this for?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"For saving me. Who knows what could've happened if you didn't show up when you did." said Carlota, with slight tears in her eyes.

"Hey, I already told you I'd be there. I wasn't about to lose another family member. You can always count on me Carlota. Me and Tarantula." said Ronnie Anne.

"That's crazy isn't it? Both of you helped me out today! Thanks again for helping me win the contest cousin!" said Carlota.

"You're welcome. It's too bad that it caused you so much trouble though." said Ronnie Anne.

"Yeah. All over a job..." said Carlota.

Suddenly, a cellphone could be heard ringing. Carlota recognized the ringtone as hers and began looking for her cellphone.

"My cellphone! Where is it?! *gasps* I must've left it at-"

"No worries. I've got you." said Ronnie Anne, handing Carlota her cellphone.

"You're the best Ronnie. *answers the call* Hello?...Yes?...Oh that's okay...Um, sure! Yeah, I'd love to!...Thanks so much! Bye!" said Carlota, as she hung up her phone.

"That was Ms. Braxton, the president of Fashion Network! She asked me if I still wanted to be a teen fashion designer!" said Carlota.

"You still want to?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Of course! I have a passion for fashion that can't be stopped by some fabric. Look out Great Lakes! Fashion Network has a new fashion designer! Carlota Casagrande!" said Carlota excitedly.

"Woot woot! Congratulations Carlota!" said Sid, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

"Sid, why are you just appearing lately?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Well, I was coming over to ask you about what happened downtown and then I overheard the amazing news!" said Sid.

"Well grab a seat Sid. Have I got a story for you." said Ronnie Anne, as she began retelling the events of that day.

* * *

Meanwhile at Great Lakes City PD...

"What do you mean you're gonna handle it? I can't just step back and let you run this city!" said Richards, on a phone call.

*someone knocks at his door*

"You know what? We'll talk. Bye. *hangs up the phone* Come in." said Richards.

"You wanted to see me Commissioner?" asked a female detective.

"Yes. I want you to handle a case for me, but it's strictly confidential. It's only between you and me." said Richards.

"Okay. What is it?" asked the female detective.

"I want you to find out who _Tarantula _is." said Richards.

"*smirks* Don't worry Commissioner. If anyone's going to find out her identity, it's me." said the female detective.

"I'd hope so with you being our lead detective. Don't let me down Cassidy." said Richards.

"You don't need to worry Commissioner. _Cassidy's on the case._" said Detective Cassidy, as she exited Richards' office.

* * *

**Threads are starting to weave together as not one, not two, but _three_ parties are now after Tarantula. Things can only get more dangerous from here. What does this mean for our purple clad spider heroine? Find out on the next _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales!_**

**See you guys around!**


	5. Episode 5: Search and Seizure

**The main reason Ronnie Anne became Tarantula was to find and save her brother, Bobby. A lot of time has passed since he was kidnapped, but Ronnie Anne hasn't given up the search for Madame Butterfly. But, as she's about to discover, neither have her friends...**

**REVIEWS**

**J - I haven't fully decided yet. More than likely though she's just down for the count.**

**Allanarcher777 - Don't worry, Bobby's disappearance is going to be addressed in this episode. Just stick around. I hope you enjoy this one!**

**Indy Scott - Yeah I was scrolling through some older reviews when I came across your idea. I was just looking for a fun villain for last episode so I thought Patchwork would work nicely. Thanks again!**

**Classic Hollywood - That may actually happen. We'll see.**

**Nick Name - Yeah just see what you can come up with. I still haven't decided which one I'd want to use.**

**Who's ready for Episode 5? I know I am! See you guys at the end! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB:** **Credit goes to a guest review for a character used in this episode. Thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 5: ****Search and Seizure**

It was late afternoon in Great Lakes City and Tarantula was currently swinging through the streets on patrol.

"*lands on a rooftop* Let me take a rest here." said Tarantula, as she sat down.

As she gazed down upon the streets below her, her eyes caught sight of something familiar.

*camera lens in her goggles zooms in on a missing person flyer with Bobby's face on it*

"*sighs* I'm not giving up Bobby. I know you're out there somewhere. Sometimes it still feels like this isn't real..." said Tarantula, to herself.

**FLASHBACK**

_*Carlos and Hector are putting up missing person fliers around the neighborhood*_

_"Have you seen this person?! He's my grandson, Roberto." said Rosa, handing a flyer to a male citizen._

_The man shook his head 'no' in response and kept on walking._

_"Come on! I know you've seen him! One of you had to!" exclaimed Carlota in frustration._

_"Carlota, calm down hija." said Frida._

_"I can't calm down! I can't just lose my cousin like that!" cried Carlota upset._

_"Bobby! Bobby! Bobby, where are you?!" shouted Ronnie Anne, to a busy street._

_Ironically, she received no answer._

_"*places hand on her shoulder* Come on Ronnie. It's getting late. We should get home." said Maria._

_"But Mom, I-"_

_"I know, I know. We'll find him honey. We just gotta be strong and never give up hope. Come on." said Maria, taking Ronnie Anne's hand._

_As they walked back home, Ronnie Anne looked behind her at the flyer put up to find her brother. A tear escaped her eye as she left the fliers behind._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"*sniffles* I'm gonna find you Bobby. I don't know when or how, but I will. Madame Butterfly's gonna pay for this." said Tarantula determined.

Just then, Tarantula heard a cellphone ringing. She reached in her pocket and saw that Sid was calling her.

"*answers it* Hey Sid. What's up?" asked Tarantula.

"Ronnie! You've gotta come down to the police station!" said Sid.

"What? Why?" asked Tarantula.

"Nikki's here trying to get the police to do an investigation into Madame Butterfly! Things are getting real tense Ronnie Anne!" said Sid.

"Hang on! I'm swinging over!" said Tarantula, as she hung up the phone.

Tarantula then took off swinging through the streets, heading for the police station.

* * *

Meanwhile at Great Lakes City PD...

"Can you just listen to me for a second?! Madame Butterfly is still a threat! Can you just look into it?!" exclaimed Nikki.

"Look, Madame Butterfly has not been seen or heard since she disappeared from the city. There is reason to believe she's still out there, but I can't send my men out on a whim. I have much more pressing matters to tend to at the moment." said Richards.

"But, can you just-"

"Excuse me Commissioner, there's a phone call for you in your office." said an officer.

"Thanks Redd. Excuse me ladies, I must be going." said Richards, heading back to his office.

"But-"

"Come on Nikki, let's just go. We're drawing too much attention to ourselves." said Sid, leading Nikki out the building.

Outside, in the back corner of the parking lot, Ronnie Anne had just arrived.

"Hey! Nikki! What were you thinking?!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne.

"I was thinking that we could use some help in tracking Butterfly down! It's been like two months Ronnie! And we still don't know where she is!" said Nikki.

"I know okay! I wanna find her just as much as you do, but we can't be reckless! Let me worry about Madame Butterfly. Trust me, the police aren't gonna help us with this." said Ronnie Anne.

"You can't do this by yourself Ronnie Anne. We're a team Santiago!" said Nikki.

"Yeah! We're the uh...Spider Squad!" exclaimed Sid.

"Shh! Sid!" said Ronnie Anne, trying to hush Sid.

"What? Not good enough?" asked Sid.

"No, we're out in the open! You can't blurt stuff out like that!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Right. Sorry! Just got a little overexcited." said Sid.

"*phone buzzes and looks at it* I've gotta go. My dad's got dinner ready." said Nikki.

"Yeah I've gotta go too. My grandma probably already has the table set." said Ronnie Anne.

"Hey, are we still meeting up for video games later?" asked Sid.

"Yeah sure. Nikki?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"I'll be there. See ya guys." said Nikki, as she skated off.

"She seems upset." said Sid.

"It's fine. We'll talk about it later. Come on." said Ronnie Anne, as she and Sid left the station parking lot.

Unbeknownst to them, however, someone appeared to be watching them from the bushes. The figure was wearing a white full head mask with a distinct eye in the center. This "eye" appeared to be a camera that the figure had been recording the children with.

* * *

Later that night, at Nikki's house...

"Dad, I'm home!" said Nikki, as she entered her house.

"Dad? *sniffs the air* Ooh! Pizza! What's the special occasion Dad? We usually-DAD!" exclaimed Nikki, in shock.

She had entered the kitchen and found her dad unconscious on the floor.

"Dad! What happened?!" *notices a tranquilizer dart in his neck* Who did this to you?!" exclaimed Nikki.

Nikki suddenly heard something buzzing around her. Before she knew it, she felt something sting her in her neck. Nikki then fell to the ground, unconscious as well.

"*suddenly appears* Madame, I've got her." said Mosquito, via his communicator.

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

"Ohhh yeah! I know you're seeing these sweet combos Ronnie!" said Casey.

"Uh-huh. I see 'em. But get a load of this!" said Ronnie Anne, as she activated her fighter's super move, which instantly defeated Casey's.

"Aww what?" said Casey upset.

"Sorry Case. My character has the strongest super move in the game." said Ronnie Anne.

"Whatever! This game wasn't even legal anyway. If we were playing without supers, I would've totally beaten you! Heck, even Nikki would've!" said Casey.

"Yeah, Nikki's the best at this game!" said Sameer.

"Hey, where is Nikki? Didn't she say she was coming?" asked Sid.

"I'll call her." said Ronnie Anne, pulling out her phone.

_"Don't bother. I'm afraid her phone is silent at the moment."_

"Uh, who said that?" asked Sameer nervously.

Ronnie Anne's spider senses suddenly tingled and she was alerted to a larvinaut hovering outside her bedroom window.

_"Hello again Ronnie Anne. It's been too long." _said Madame Butterfly, however only her voice was heard from the larvinaut.

"What did you do with her Butterfly?!" asked Ronnie Anne angered.

_"I haven't done anything. My assistant Mosquito is in charge of this mission."_

"*growls* I don't care! Give me my friend back!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne, as she tried to pounce on the larvinaut, but it moved out the way.

_"Relax, will you? Your friend is at the old Chrysalize Inc. complex. I'm sure you're familiar with that location. I'd get moving Tarantula. You wouldn't want to lose another loved one."_ said Madame Butterfly, as the larvinaut started flying away from the window.

"Get back here!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne, as she shot a web at the larvinaut, and dragged it inside, crashing it on the floor.

_"There was no need for that Ronnie A-"_

"*punches hole in larvinaut* Shut up! You're not taking anyone else away from me!...I'm gonna find you." said Ronnie Anne, with a determined look on her face.

Ronnie Anne then activated her pendant and became Tarantula. She then swung out of her bedroom window, heading into the city.

Sid, Casey, and Sameer just sat there in shock at what had just occurred.

* * *

Meanwhile at Chrysalize Inc...

*Nikki is slowly starting to wake up but her vision is blurred*

"Ah great. You're finally awake. It was getting a bit boring without anyone to talk to." said Mosquito, sharpening his wrist blades.

"Huh? What? Wh-Who are you?!" asked Nikki confused.

"My name is Mosquito. I work for Madame Butterfly. She asked me to kidnap you because you have some evidence that can possibly work against her." said Mosquito.

"*struggles against her restraints* What evidence?" asked Nikki agitated.

"The photos you took when you and your friends broke into this complex." said Mosquito.

Nikki just stared wide eyed at the bug themed villain.

"Now, either you hand over the photos or I take them by force." said Mosquito, as he approached the preteen.

Meanwhile, Tarantula was hurriedly swinging through the streets, desperately trying to reach Nikki before it was too late.

*Ronnie Anne is having flashbacks of prior events*

**FLASHBACKS**

_"Bobby! What did you do to my brother?!" asked Ronnie Anne enraged._

_"Hush little spider. Your brother is simply being used as leverage. If you want him to remain unharmed, all you have to do is come with me. However, if you don't co-operate, your brother might not be waking up." said Mosquito, with a slight snicker._

_..._

_"Let my brother go!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne._

* * *

_"...*sighs* None of this would've happened if I had just stayed home that night. Now my brother's gone and it's all my fault." said Ronnie Anne._

_"Don't say that sweetie! We're gonna find Bobby!" said Rita._

_"I already know where he is. Mosquito took him back to those labs I got my powers from. I just know it." said Ronnie Anne._

_"Who owns the labs?" asked Lynn Sr._

_"No one knows her real name but they call her Madame Butterfly. She's like some nature activist wanting to "transform society..." said Ronnie Anne._

* * *

"_You're causing a lot of unnecessary stress right now!" said Psyche, through gritted teeth._

_"And you think you aren't doing that to me? Look at what you've done to my family!" said Ronnie Anne._

_"What I've done?! You had the nerve to break into my labs, steal my DNA, and then when I track you down to take it back, I'm the one who's wrong?!" asked Psyche, pretty peeved._

_"You're not gonna use the DNA for anything good anyways! You're gonna mutate humans!" said Ronnie Anne._

_"Yes, I am, but at the right time. Your recent antics in this city have caused problems I didn't account for. And now, I have to put a stop to it." said Psyche._

_"What are you gonna do?" asked Ronnie Anne._

_"It's not what I'm going to do, it's what you're going to do. You can continue wasting time fighting me, but every second you spend here, your brother draws closer and closer to death." said Psyche._

_"What did you do to him?!" asked Ronnie Anne, getting heated._

_"I've had a neurotoxin injected into his bloodstream. He's dying by the second. You can try saving him, but by the time you get to him, it may already be too late." said Psyche._

* * *

_"Hey. I noticed you disappeared a while ago. Are you okay?" asked Lincoln, suddenly joining her._

_"*sighs* No I'm not...Lincoln...I can't be a superhero. I'm too much of a screw up. In one day I managed to lose my brother, put my family in danger, and make an enemy for life. *sniffles* I can't believe he's gone...*tears start to stream down her face* It's all my fault..."_

_"Ronnie listen. Being a superhero isn't easy, but you can't give up after one failure. Me and my family weren't always the best with our powers. Even with training, we still lose sometimes. But no matter how many times we get knocked down, we get back up and start fighting again." said Lincoln._

_..._

_"Look, what I'm trying to say is that failure doesn't define a hero. It only makes them stronger. A hero only loses when they give up. And you can't give up Ronnie. Bobby needs you. Your family needs you. And...maybe even this city." said Lincoln._

_"*wipes tears off her face* You're right. I'm not gonna let some insect freak get me down..." said Ronnie Anne._

* * *

_"...Listen. Mom, I want to do this. I promise you I'm being careful when I'm out there. There's really no need to worry." said Ronnie Anne._

_"*sniffles* My worst fear is that either Madame Butterfly or someone else will come along and take you away...And that I'll never see you again..."_

_Ronnie Anne listened to the hurt in her Mom's voice. It absolutely broke her heart._

_"I already lost my son Ronnie. I can't lose you too." said Maria._

_"I know Mom. And that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this. For Bobby. I'm gonna find him. I know he's still out there...But Mom, I need you to trust me. I know how serious this is, but I'm only going to go out there if I need to. Trust me, this city needs a Tarantula." said Ronnie Anne._

**END OF FLASHBACKS**

* * *

"This city needs a Tarantula." said Tarantula, to herself.

She had just swung over the fence into the Chrysalize Inc. complex and landed on the rooftop of one of the buildings.

*masked figure from earlier is seen recording Tarantula from afar*

Tarantula peered into the sunroof of the building and saw Mosquito standing in front of Nikki. She immediately went into action and kicked out a pane in the sunroof.

Mosquito suddenly looked above him and received a web shot to the face.

"*jump kicks him in the chest* Get away from her!" exclaimed Tarantula.

"*removes webbing from his face* You're a bit late spider. I've already got what I need." said Mosquito, as she held Nikki's phone in his hand.

Tarantula suddenly shot a web at Nikki's phone and pulled it to her.

"*sighs* So we're doing this again? Alright. Let's dance you little bug." said Mosquito, as he suddenly rushed Tarantula and started melee fighting with her.

Tarantula backflips away from his swings and then tried to jump kick him again as a surprise attack. However, Mosquito was ready for this.

"*catches her leg and throws her behind him* Seen that move before. You're gonna have to do better than that." said Mosquito.

Tarantula dusted herself off and then started firing rapid fire web shots at Mosquito. He flew around each one and then shrunk in size, vanishing before Tarantula's eyes.

"W-Where'd he go?" asked Nikki, getting scared.

Tarantula didn't respond. She was listening closely for him. Then, she heard it. The all too familiar buzz.

Tarantula started instinctively dodging Mosquito's mini tranquilizing darts. Suddenly, however, they abruptly stopped.

Tarantula was confused until she heard a sharp gasp come from Nikki behind her.

"*has a wrist blade pressed against Nikki's neck* Listen to me Tarantula. The Madame has a tight schedule and this is taking way longer than I anticipated." said Mosquito.

"Tell Madame Butterfly I want my brother back." said Tarantula sternly.

"I don't think you'd want him back now. He's not your _brother _anymore." said Mosquito.

Tarantula growled in anger, ready to pounce on him, but Mosquito pressed his wrist blade closer to Nikki's neck.

"The phone. Now." said Mosquito.

Just then, Mosquito suddenly let go of Nikki as it seemed that he was struck down by something.

Tarantula looked above her to see the masked figure by the sunroof, holding a tranquilizer gun.

"What the-"

"Ronnie! Come on! Let's get out of here!" said Nikki.

"Right! I just-Huh?"

Tarantula looked up at where the masked figure once stood, only to find that it had disappeared.

"Huh." said Tarantula to herself, not sure about what she just saw.

Tarantula freed Nikki from the chair she was restrained to by melting the restraints with her acid venom. The two girls then escaped the building through the sunroof, and Tarantula swung them over the fence and out of the complex.

"Mosquito! Mosquito! What happened?!" asked Madame Butterfly, via communicator.

"Ugh...pint-sized pests..." grumbled Mosquito, holding his head.

* * *

Back at Nikki's house...

"*opens the front door* Dad!" exclaimed Nikki.

"Nikki! *runs up and hugs her* Oh thank god! I was so worried!" said Mr. Young.

"It's okay. Tarantula saved me." said Nikki relieved.

"Oh, what would this city do without her?" said Mr. Young.

At this point, the scene switches to Ronnie Anne, who is sitting alone on her apartment's rooftop.

*teardrops stain a photo of Ronnie Anne and Bobby*

"Hey Ronnie. Are you okay? Carlota said you'd be up here." said Sid.

Ronnie Anne sniffled as she wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"I'm fine. I just...sometimes when I think about it..."

**FLASHBACK**

_"__Bobby! What did you do to my brother?!" asked Ronnie Anne enraged._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Ronnie Anne suddenly broke down crying.

"Ronnie...*hugs her to herself* Don't cry. We're gonna find Bobby. Together." said Sid.

Ronnie Anne looked at her at the mention of that word.

"You're not alone in this Ronnie Anne. Nikki only got kidnapped today cause she wants to help find your brother too! We all do! Me, Casey, and Sameer! Your family's already got your back Ronnie. I just want you to know that your friends got your back too." said Sid.

"*sniffles* Thanks Sid. That means a lot to me." said Ronnie Anne, as she and Sid shared a hug.

"Hey, so, I've been thinking...how about the _Web Rogues?" _said Ronnie Anne.

"For our team name?! Yes! That's awesome!" exclaimed Sid excitedly.

"I can see it now! _Tarantula and the Web Rogues! _We'll all have awesome costumes, someone could have a jetpack or maybe a glider-"

"Hey Sid, uh, why don't we finish this conversation inside?" said Ronnie Anne, hinting at the open area they were in.

"Oh. *nervous laugh* Just got a little overexcited." said Sid.

She and Ronnie Anne laughed with each other as they headed towards the roof access door.

* * *

**That's gonna do it for this episode! I know this episode might have been lacking in action, but I really wanted to start moving the story forward a bit.**

**Trust me, the next episode is going to be one you won't wanna miss! It's _Tarantula's Tales' _first two parter! I hope you're excited, cause I am! Let me know what you thought of this episode and until next time, this has been 65rogeryork.**

**Later!**


	6. Episode 6: Cut to the Cheese Part 1

**Readers, I know it's been a long time coming, but here is Episode 6! The first part of the first two-parter of _Tarantula's Tales!_ I would also like to add** **that this fanfic now has its own category! _Tarantula's Tales _is officially a_ Casagrandes _fanfic!**

**REVIEWS**

**Allanarcher777 - Yeah, there's nothing good about what Mosquito said. I can tell you that for sure. As for the identity of the figure, I can't exactly reveal his/her intentions just yet. A lot of mysteries to be revealed in the future.**

**J - Right now it's just for Ronnie Anne's friends and fam. It could extend in the future but everything's kinda close knit right now. For good reason of course.**

**Classic Hollywood - I'm not sure if you are the guest who suggested the character to me, but if you are then yes. Oh and thanks. I kinda want Tarantula's Tales to have a bit more of a serious tone.**

**Guest - You're gonna be seeing a lot more of the "inner circle" in episodes to come. And yeah, there will be some tense moments in this two parter.**

**Indy Scott - As you're about to find out, a lot is in store. In fact, a few things are about to change.**

**Well, the long awaited Casagrandes spinoff has debuted and I have thoroughly enjoyed every episode so far. As this series continues, you'll start to see people from the show popping up in more ways than one.**

**But enough rambling, let's get into the episode! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB:** **Credit goes to Indy Scott for multiple villains in this episode.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Casagrandes. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

**(It feels so cool to type that.)**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 6: Cut to the Cheese Part 1**

"Brie, where are those numbskulls I called to my office?" asked Big Cheese.

"I told them to come ten minutes ago Abe." said Brie.

Just then, two men waltzed into Big Cheese's office, a bit lackadaisical. One man seemed to have bricks covering his forearms and wore a green shirt and gray sweatpants. The other man seemed to have a vapor-like aura surrounding him. He had a light blue mohawk and was dressed in all black.

"Brickpile. Fog. When I call you to a meeting, it's not a suggestion you know." said Big Cheese.

"Sorry Cheese. We kinda got lost on the way." said Brickpile, as he started chugging an expensive looking wine bottle.

"Give me that! *snatches the bottle away from him* You know better than to sample the winery! This is expensive!" exclaimed Brie.

"Sorry Ms. Noire. We were just getting a little excited before the party tonight." said Fog.

"There won't be a party if you two idiots don't do what I ask you to do." said Big Cheese.

"What's the task?" asked Brickpile.

"I'm sure by now you've heard of Tarantula." said Big Cheese.

"Yeah. Spider girl." said Fog.

"Yes. I need you two to find her and apprehend her. I have to get this freak off the streets." said Big Cheese.

"You sure Cheese? What harm is one girl gonna do?" asked Brickpile.

"Never underestimate an early threat. Just get out there and find her. I'm very busy today." said Big Cheese.

"Alright boss. C'mon Fog, let's hit the streets." said Brickpile, turning to leave.

"Think we could hit Bruno's hot dog stand on the way?" asked Fog.

"Maybe." said Brickpile, as he and Fog left Big Cheese's office.

Brie shook her head in disbelief.

"Brie, are we ready for tonight?" asked Big Cheese.

"Yes Abe. All the chefs are prepping for dinner as we speak. A large assortment of wines just arrived a few minutes ago and the decorating team is currently decorating the dining room." said Brie.

"Speaking of decorations, can you make sure the maitre d' contacts the artist with the painting?" asked Big Cheese.

"Of course Abe. Right away." said Brie, as she briskly left the office.

Big Cheese then leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet up on his desk.

"*lights a cigar and starts smoking it* No one's gonna ruin this party...Not even you Tarantula..." said Big Cheese, to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

*Frida is painting frantically on a canvas*

"Oh! I need more paint!" said Frida.

She looked beside her to see that all the paint she needed had been spilled by Carlitos.

"Aww! Carlitos!" said Frida, in disbelief.

"Does someone need a paint refill?" asked CJ, riding in on Lalo's back.

"Oh thank you CJ!" said Frida, as she took the paint from him.

Frida then began frantically painting again, her work remaining a mystery beneath a white sheet.

"Carlota!" exclaimed Frida.

"Yes Mama!" said Carlota, suddenly appearing.

"My tea please!" said Frida.

Carlota then brought the cup to her lips so she could sip the tea.

"Thank you honey. Carlino! My danish!" exclaimed Frida.

"Right here Mom! Whoa!" said Carl, currently sitting atop Hector's back.

Frida bit into the danish before Carl was whisked away by Hector. As Frida continued to paint furiously, Rosa and Maria walked over to her.

"Frida dear, you have to relax. You're going to run yourself ragged!" said Rosa concerned.

"Yeah, you should take a break." said Maria.

"I can't take a break! I have to finish this painting today! The celebratory dinner is tonight and-"

*a cellphone ringing is suddenly heard*

"Oh! Mi telefono! Where did I put my phone?" asked Frida, searching her person.

"I've got it Tia Frida!" said Ronnie Anne, as she used her distinct sense of hearing to pinpoint the exact location of the phone.

"*shoots a web underneath the couch and retrieves the phone* Here it is!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Oh thank you Ronnie!" said Frida, as she wiped her hands of paint before answering the phone.

"Hello?" answered Frida.

"Good morning ma'am. This is Sebastian Franz, the maitre d' of _Ser Caseus_. Am I speaking with Frida Casagrande?" asked Sebastian.

"Yes! Yes! This is me!" said Frida.

"Lovely! I'm just calling to find out if the painting is ready for tonight?" asked Sebastian.

"Um...yes! It's ready, I'm just putting some last minute details on it." said Frida nervously.

"Excellent. Can you try to bring it over within the hour? We're just trying to make sure all the decorations are ready for tonight." said Sebastian.

"Of course sir. I'll be over there with it soon." said Frida.

"Alright, I'll be expecting you Mrs. Casagrande. Thank you and have a good day." said Sebastian, as he hung up the phone.

*Frida suddenly exclaims very loudly*

"What's wrong Frida?" asked Maria.

"That was the front of the house at the restaurant. He wants me to bring the painting over within the hour!" said Frida frantic.

Just then, Carlos entered the room.

"Carlos! Get the car ready! We have to get to the restaurant! Now!" exclaimed Frida.

"Alright, I'll grab the painting." said Carlos, as he picked up the painting and walked out the door.

"I have to get ready!" said Frida, running to her bedroom.

"Ooh! I'll help you Mama!" said Carlota, following her.

Just then, Ronnie Anne's stomach started to grumble.

"Ooh hija! You're hungry! I'll make you some lunch!" said Rosa, about to rush into the kitchen.

"That's okay grandma! I was about to head out anyways. I'll grab a snack on my way to the skate park." said Ronnie Anne.

"Are you sure?" asked Rosa.

"Definitely. See you guys later!" said Ronnie Anne, as she headed out the door, skateboard in hand.

* * *

Meanwhile with Brickpile and Fog...

"Listen buddy, I already told you that if you want two dogs, it's gonna cost you extra." said Bruno.

"And I told you that I'm not getting two dogs. One's for my friend." said Brickpile.

"Buddy, what friend? It's just you here." said Bruno.

Just then, Bruno felt a cool fog surround him. Suddenly, he seemed to be restrained by the neck by an invisible assailant.

"Those dogs are on the house right?" asked Fog, who was currently holding Bruno by his neck.

Bruno was struggling to breathe as he struggled to free himself from Fog's grip.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne had been skating along the sidewalk where Bruno's hot dog stand was and noticed the scene that was unfolding. She put on a determined face and ran into an alleyway to get into action.

Brickpile, wanting to get this over with quick, took a brick from his body and threw it at Bruno. However, just before it hit, a web came out of nowhere and reversed its direction back to Brickpile.

"*gets hit with the brick* Hey! What gives?" asked Brickpile.

"Not me." said Tarantula, appearing in front of him.

"Hey, it's Tarantula! Hey Fog, I got her!" said Brickpile.

"Fog?" said Tarantula confused.

Suddenly, a cloud of fog consumed the area and Tarantula was no longer able to see the street.

"Goggles. Infrared mode." said Tarantula, as her goggles switched her field of vision to sense heat signatures.

Suddenly, a brick was launched at her but she dodged it with her quick reflexes.

"Where ya at you pile of bricks?" asked Tarantula.

"If you want me, you gotta find me you little bugger." said Brickpile, somewhere in the fog.

Just then, a torrent of bricks started coming Tarantula's way and she found it hard to keep up with the onslaught.

Suddenly, she felt herself being held by someone.

"What's up Tarantula? You wanna go for a ride?" asked Fog.

Tarantula's response to that question was a solid kick to the crotch.

"I'm sorry, but if that's your best pickup line, you're not gonna have much luck with the ladies." said Tarantula.

"Oh what do you know? You're just a girl." said Fog, popping up in front of her.

"Still a lady." said Tarantula, as she ran another direction, only to be met with Fog again.

"All this fog is me girl. You can't outrun this." said Fog.

"For some reason the infrared scanners aren't tracking him." said Tarantula puzzled.

"Guess they couldn't track me either huh?" asked Brickpile, trying to restrain Tarantula.

Tarantula tried to escape his grasp but her kicks couldn't hurt the literal brick wall.

"Give up. It's over spider." said Brickpile.

"Yo Brick, you hear that?" asked Fog.

Brickpile listened closely for a second and heard sirens approaching the area.

"Damn it! It's the cops!" exclaimed Brickpile.

"I know man! I can't go back to jail! I'm out!" said Fog, as he suddenly disappeared, removing the fog from the area.

"Hey! Wait for me!" said Brickpile, as he dropped Tarantula on the sidewalk and took off running.

"*shakes her head in disbelief* Those two are clowns...Huh? What's that?" said Tarantula, as the camera in her goggles zoomed in on Brickpile's right arm.

"That tattoo looks familiar...Looks like..._cheese..._Cheese? Wait a minute-!"

"Hey! Tarantula, uh, thanks for saving me but shouldn't you be getting out of here or something?" asked Bruno.

"Oh yeah! Thanks, uh, guy I've never met before!" said Tarantula, as she took off swinging through the city streets.

As she left, it's revealed that a car had been parked on the opposite side of the street Tarantula had been on. The driver's window of the car rolled down to reveal that Detective Cassidy was the driver.

*Cassidy takes pictures of Tarantula leaving the scene before leaving the area*

* * *

Later that evening, at the Casagrandes...

"Has anyone seen my black eyeliner? I'm trying to get mom ready for tonight!" shouted Carlota.

"Nope! Haven't seen it!" said Carl, nervously whistling as he shuffled past with a black inky substance on his hands.

"Carl! Not again!" exclaimed Carlota, as she started chasing Carl around the house.

"Carlota! It's okay! Your father and I have to leave now!" said Frida, standing by the front door in an elegant dress.

"You look great Tia Frida." said Ronnie Anne.

"Thanks Ronnie." said Frida.

"What's the name of the restaurant again?" asked Maria.

"_Ser Caseus. _I believe it's Polish and Latin for _cheese._" said Carlos, joining the group.

"Wait. Cheese?!" said Ronnie Anne suddenly.

**FLASHBACK**

_"I know I've seen this cheese block somewhere downtown. Chances are this guy's affiliated with a gang." said Carlos._

_"A gang? A key to the criminal underworld. I have to find this guy. He could lead me right to whoever's running this system!" said Ronnie Anne._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Tio Carlos! This restaurant! It could be a cover for a gang! Remember? I fought one of its members before. Whoever runs it has a thing for cheese apparently." said Ronnie Anne.

"Hmm. Great deducting skills Ronnie Anne. It is plausible." said Carlos.

"Ronnie, you don't know that for sure. Ser Caseus is one of the fanciest restaurants in this city. The man who owns it is a very honorable businessman." said Frida.

"You know what they say auntie, nobody's innocent in this city." said Ronnie Anne.

"But Ronnie, why do you want to investigate this place so badly?" asked Maria.

"Because mom, I'm convinced that the leader of this gang either runs the system or is a key part of it. Plus, whoever runs it seems to be after me now. Two more goons showed up today to try and take me down." said Ronnie Anne.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" asked Maria concerned.

"I'm fine Mom." said Ronnie Anne.

"Uh, Frida, we better be going." said Carlos, pointing to his watch.

"Ooh! Right! Bye everyone!" exclaimed Frida.

"Bye!" exclaimed the rest of the Casagrandes.

"You guys be safe!" said Ronnie Anne, as Carlos and Frida walked out the door.

"Alright everyone, it's time for me to leave for my shift at work too." said Maria.

"Bye Auntie Maria!" said CJ, hugging her.

"Bye CJ." said Maria.

"Bye Mom." said Ronnie Anne, hugging her as well.

"Bye honey. Please don't go out investigating tonight. I'm sure the restaurant is fine. Okay?" said Maria.

"Alright mom." said Ronnie Anne.

Maria kissed Ronnie Anne's forehead before heading out the door.

A few minutes later in Ronnie Anne's room...

*Ronnie Anne is lying on her bed thinking*

_"I've gotta find out who runs the system!" _thought Ronnie Anne.

Ronnie Anne fished her phone out her hoodie pocket and dialed a number.

"Hey Sid. Remember that team name I came up with? I think it's time we put it into action!...I'll explain the situation later. Just tell Nicki, Sameer, and Casey to meet me in an alley across from Ser Caseus downtown...Alright, see ya later." said Ronnie Anne, as she hung up the phone.

Ronnie Anne then peeked out from her bedroom to survey the scene. With the coast being clear, she quickly left her apartment and snuck into Carlos and Frida's apartment.

*Ronnie Anne enters Carlos and Frida's bedroom and walks up to Carlos' desk*

"*opens the top drawer and takes out a wireless communicator* Perfect." said Ronnie Anne.

"*squawks* Where do you think you're going?" asked Sergio, suddenly appearing.

"Ahh! Sergio! What are you doing here?!" asked Ronnie Anne in shock.

"*squawks* You promised your mom you wouldn't investigate tonight." said Sergio.

"*sighs* I know Sergio, but I have a feeling that I have a good lead here. What's it gonna take for you to keep quiet?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"*squawks* Three crackers." said Sergio.

"Three?! Boy, you sure upped the ante." said Ronnie Anne, as she tossed the crackers to Sergio.

Ronnie Anne then activated her pendant and transformed into Tarantula.

"*grabs five communicators* See ya Sergio!" said Tarantula, running towards an open window.

"*squawks* Good luck!" said Sergio.

As Tarantula swung into the city streets, it was once again revealed that Detective Cassidy had been watching the building.

*dial tone is heard*

"Hello?"

"Hey Richards, it's me. I think I've got a lead on Tarantula. Apparently she's heading to Ser Caseus tonight." said Cassidy.

"They're having a party tonight...I'll make sure you get in. Just get over there. Don't lose that girl." said Richards.

"Don't worry. I'm on the case remember?" said Cassidy, as she drove off, heading for Ser Caseus.

* * *

Meanwhile with Big Cheese...

"So let me get this straight. You let Tarantula go because of some damn cops?!" asked Big Cheese, slamming his desk in anger.

"Well, yeah. We thought-"

"I control the cops in this city! Anything dealing with my crew, the Commissioner has to answer to me!...Now, I should kill you both for being so stupid, but fortunately for you, I'm short staffed." said Big Cheese.

"We won't let you down again Cheese." said Fog.

"Don't give me that. You've already let me down. Just get back out there and catch that spider! I have a feeling she'll be showing up tonight and if she ruins this party, you better leave town before I find you. Got it?" said Big Cheese.

"Got it Cheese. Come on Fog." said Brickpile, as he and Fog left Cheese's office.

Meanwhile, Tarantula had made it to the alleyway opposite Ser Caseus. The restaurant was wine red with a black trim and was illuminated by red neon lights. A sign spun around high on a pole with one side having the restaurant's name and the other having a familiar looking block of cheese.

"Looks like this is the place...Time to take down this system." said Tarantula determined.

* * *

**There sure are a lot of storylines to keep track of in this episode! You can start to see why this is a two parter. Next time, the action continues as Ronnie Anne investigates what she believes is the key to "the system" of Great Lakes.**

**What will Ronnie Anne and her friends discover? Find out in Part 2! Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next time. Peace!**


	7. Episode 7: Cut to the Cheese Part 2

**_Feel invincible...earthquake, powerful!_**

**What's up guys? This two parter's been on hiatus for awhile but it's finally time to finish it! I hope you're still excited!**

**REVIEWS**

**Littl****eMissLola - No, it doesn't. The name "Tarantula" was suggested to me by a guest.**

**ClassicHollywood - That's a great idea! I may use that if a certain series goes past one season. (Hint hint).**

**Indy Scott - All is about to be revealed in this chapter. Hang on to your seat, it's gonna get a little crazy.**

**Casa-G Fanboy - ****Something big is indeed about to happen! Just you wait!**

**Guest - Part 2 is definitely going to be a "wham" chapter. Ronnie Anne's inner circle have a few surprises in store.**

**JTWAS1994 - Yes. Very interesting.**

**I'll let this episode explain itself. Let's just go! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: Credit goes to Indy Scott for multiple villains in this episode.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Casagrandes. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 7: Cut to the Cheese Part 2**

Tarantula had just arrived at Ser Caseus, and was currently watching its patrons enter the restaurant from a nearby alleyway.

"*scanning the area with her goggles and gasps* Tia Frida and Tio Carlos!" said Tarantula suddenly.

Across the street, her uncle and aunt had just arrived at the restaurant.

*one of the guards opens the door for them*

"Oh why thank you! Such a gentleman!" said Frida, as she entered the restaurant with Carlos right behind her.

"Ah! Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Casagrande! I am the maitre d', Sebastian Franz. It's so good to finally meet you in person Miss Frida." said Sebastian.

"Oh well thank you. This is a lovely restaurant." said Frida.

"Indeed. Ser Caseus is one of the most elegant restaurants in town! Please, allow one of our servers to escort you to your table." said Sebastian.

"Right this way please." said a waitress.

Carlos and Frida then followed her inside the dining room.

"I gotta be careful on this mission. I don't want Tio Carlos and Tia Frida getting hurt." said Tarantula.

"No sweat. That's why you called backup right?" said Casey.

Tarantula suddenly turned around and saw her friends. Nikki, Sameer, Casey, and of course Sid. They were all sporting different colored masks and wearing matching black hoodies.

"Sorry, we're a little late. It took awhile to get Adelaide to fall asleep before I could sneak out." said Sid.

"Nah, you guys are good. You're right on time!...Who made the masks?" said Tarantula.

"I did! Aren't they cool? There's pink for me, orange for Sameer, red for Casey and blue for Nikki!" said Sid.

"So what's this mission Santiago?" asked Nikki.

"I believe I've found the source of who's running the system here in Great Lakes. Whoever's running it has a thing for cheese. And there's no bigger cheese chain than this restaurant." said Tarantula.

"So what, we're gonna raid the restaurant or something?" asked Casey.

"I'm gonna do the investigating. All I need you guys to do is keep watch for me." said Tarantula.

"Oh my gosh! It's a real intel mission! _Web Rogues, unite!_" said Sid excitedly.

"I feel like we can come up with a better catchphrase than that." said Casey.

"Web Rogues though. I like it." said Nikki.

"So wait Ronnie, how are we gonna let you know if something goes wrong?" asked Sameer.

"With these!" said Tarantula, as she pulled out five wireless communicators.

She handed four of them to her friends as they each put them in their ear.

"Sweet! We're like spies! This is gonna be so hype!" said Casey.

"Alright guys. Just remember. Keep your guard up. This place is as shifty as they come. Casey, I want you to stay here in the alley. Sameer, you take the left side of the restaurant and Sid, you take the right. Nikki, you got the back." said Tarantula.

"Let's do this." said Nikki.

Tarantula and the Web Rogues then dispersed in different directions to get in position. Little did they know however, that a gloomy cloud had been cast over them.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, the guests had been seated at their tables and the owner of the restaurant was about to give his ceremonial speech.

"Good evening everyone. My name is Abraham Stilton, the owner of Ser Caseus. It's a pleasure to have all of you here to celebrate this restaurant's 5th anniversary!" said Abe proudly.

The dining room was suddenly filled with a roar of applause.

"I would also like to thank Mrs. Frida Casagrande for providing this ceremony with a lovely portrait of this restaurant's trademark." said Abe, as two waiters removed the white sheet covering the painting.

The painting was revealed to be a block of cheese sitting on a pristine white platter.

*applause is heard once again*

"You did a great job honey." said Carlos.

"Thank you sweetie." said Frida.

"Mmm...I'm getting hungry just looking at it. I better not keep you all waiting any longer. Without further ado, let this dining party commence!" said Abe, as he walked off the stage and took his seat.

Waiters and waitresses began taking orders as the night suddenly took off in full swing.

"*cell phone rings and she answers it* Hello?" said Cassidy, undercover wearing an elegant blue dress.

"Cassidy. Anything to report at the restaurant?" asked Richards.

"Nope. Tarantula hasn't shown up yet it seems." said Cassidy.

"Alright, well be vigilant. You know she's a sly one." said Richards.

"No need to worry Richards. Nothing gets past Cassidy. I'm on the case." said Cassidy, as she hung up the phone.

* * *

Meanwhile with Tarantula...

*lands on the roof of the restaurant after swinging from the air*

"*activates communicator* Alright guys, I'm about to go in. Are you in position?" asked Tarantula.

"Yup!" said Sid.

"All good here!" said Casey.

"I'm good too!" said Sameer.

"Good luck Santiago. Let us know what you find." said Nikki.

"Will do Nikki." said Tarantula, as she melted the vent off of an air condition duct using her acid venom.

She then hopped inside to begin her search.

"Hey guys? Is it foggy where you guys are? I can't really see anything." said Sameer.

"Yeah, this fog just came out of nowhere." said Casey.

"Something's off about this guys." said Nikki.

"Yeah! There's supposed to be clear skies tonight!" said Sid.

"Well, I guess you all missed the weather update. An 100% chance of _fog._" said Fog.

The Rogues couldn't see him, but his voice echoed throughout his foggy presence. Then, without warning, all four kids suddenly felt themselves get pulled into the fog. At the same time, the fog quickly dissipated, leaving the clear night sky behind as it was before.

Meanwhile, Tarantula was currently crawling through the ducts observing the activity on the second floor of the restaurant.

The kitchen was housed upstairs and so it was no surprise to Tarantula when she saw countless waiters and waitresses moving back and forth within the halls.

She noticed at one point however that some workers were using an elevator to access another area of the restaurant.

Tarantula knew that she had to investigate this further. At some point, the hall she was observing appeared empty and Tarantula took this opportunity to leave the vents.

*Tarantula lands on the ground and rises up slowly*

Her senses suddenly alerted her to someone behind her. She turned around to see that it was Brickpile.

"Ready for round two spider?" asked Brickpile.

"Bring it you sack of bricks." said Tarantula.

Tarantula then shot a web at his face and attempted to swing over his head using the web. However, Brickpile suddenly grabbed the web and pulled down it which slammed Tarantula to the ground.

"*peels webbing off his face* Those little silk strands of yours are nothing compared to my bricks!" said Brickpile, with a grin.

Brickpile then started hurling bricks at Tarantula, who nimbly dodged each projectile.

"Okay, if webs won't hurt you, maybe acid will!" said Tarantula, as she started firing acid venom projectiles at Brickpile.

Brickpile suddenly screamed out in pain as the acid began to corrode the parts of his body that weren't covered by bricks.

"You little-!"

Brickpile suddenly lost it and launched an all out attack on Tarantula. He bombarded her with a barrage of bricks and Tarantula was finding it difficult to avoid them.

"*ducking and dodging* I gotta find a way to get out of this!" said Tarantula.

Suddenly, a brick came flying in really fast, and Tarantula's quick reflexes allowed her to shoot a web at the incoming projectile and reverse its trajectory in the other direction.

Brickpile ducked to avoid getting hit with his own projectile and the brick broke through a window instead.

"*hears the sound of glass shattering above him* Something's going on upstairs...Brie, can you investigate?" asked Abe.

"Certainly Abe." said Brie, as she got up from the table and briskly walked toward the double doors leading to the stairs.

* * *

Meanwhile with the Web Rogues...

Some fog dissipates as the kids are revealed to be sitting in four separate chairs, bound together by thick ropes. They appeared to be in a storage room.

"I gotta say I'm surprised. I didn't expect Tarantula to have an entourage." said Fog.

"Why'd you kidnap us man?" asked Casey, struggling against his trappings.

"For ransom. Just in case your spider friend gets a little too feisty. It would be a shame if something were to happen to one of her friends." said Fog.

"You don't scare us you oversized cloud!" said Sid.

"Yeah, you're no better than a smoke machine." said Nikki.

"Quite the mouth on you ladies. Especially you blondie." said Fog, leaning in to Nikki.

Nikki suddenly kicked him in his crotch for his remark.

"You pack a punch too huh? Alright, I'll lay off. You kids get comfortable. You might be here awhile." said Fog, as he turned and left the room.

"What are we gonna do guys? How are we gonna get out of here?" asked Sameer.

Nikki looked around her and spotted a knife conveniently placed atop a stack of crates. She suddenly got an idea.

"Hey Sid, can you reach into my jacket pocket and grab my yo-yo?" asked Nikki.

"Sure!" said Sid, as she reached her left hand into Nikki's jacket and fished out the yo-yo from her pocket.

"*Sid hands her the yo-yo* Perfect." said Nikki.

"What are you gonna do with that yo-yo...yo?" asked Casey.

Nikki responded by launching the yo-yo upward to knock the knife down from atop the crates. Once on the ground, she slowly retracted the yo-yo, using it to drag the knife closer to her.

"*picks up the knife using her feet and then grabs it with her left hand* Our way out." said Nikki.

"Oh Nikki, you are a genius!" exclaimed Sid.

"Just something I learned to do when I was younger. Alright, let's cut these ropes and get out of here." said Nikki.

While the Web Rogues were making their escape, Tarantula was still in a fierce battle against Brickpile.

*Tarantula is ducking and dodging as best as she can*

"You can't dodge my bricks forever. Eventually, you're gonna get squished." said Brickpile, as he threw another brick but it suddenly clashed with something.

The brick fell to the ground as a figure wearing a stainless steel battle suit suddenly appeared.

Tarantula looked at the figure in awe. By the shape of the battle suit, the figure appeared to be a woman. The see through part of her mask was tinted to maintain secrecy. She was also armed with two twin stainless steel swords.

"Bricks don't solve everything you dunce. Let me handle this. (to Tarantula) So, you're Tarantula. Interesting to meet your acquaintance to say the least." said the unknown woman.

"Who are you?" asked Tarantula, wanting to cut to the chase.

"I am _Inox._ The personal bodyguard of Big Cheese. That is all the information you need to know because you're not going any further." said Inox.

"Nah. I came here to find this Cheese guy, and I'm not stopping until I do!" said Tarantula.

Suddenly, a 'ding' sound was heard and the elevator opened up behind Tarantula. Tarantula saw this as her chance to continue her investigation and she took it.

Tarantula backflipped into the air and somersaulted to connect a perfectly executed jump kick to the worker that came out of the elevator. She then hopped inside and pressed a button to ride the elevator down to the basement.

"No!" exclaimed Inox, running up to the elevator just as it closed.

She nearly dodged being hit by a brick by ducking at the last second.

*Inox stares at Brickpile*

"What? That was meant for her, not you." said Brickpile.

"Just get down there and stop her you imbecile!" said Inox.

Brickpile obliged and quickly ran off to find the stairs.

"*taps wristwatch* Cheese. Tarantula is riding the elevator down to the basement. She's determined to find you." said Inox.

"Well, I guess it's time our paths finally cross. I'll be down shortly. Keep her busy." said Abe, as he got up from his table and approached the stage once again.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Due to reasons that I unfortunately cannot go into detail with right now, Ser Caseus is now closed for the rest of the night." said Abe.

The dining room immediately erupted into a frenzy of murmurs, whispers, and shouts.

"I know this comes as a surprise to you all, but fret not! Ser Caseus will be open again in a few days. Thank you all for coming. Any meals that you did not finish, feel free to take with you as you leave." said Abe, as he left the stage.

The dining room was still in shock, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Hmm. That's strange. Don't you think so honey?" said Frida.

"Indeed. I get the feeling that something's not right here." said Carlos, rubbing his chin.

Detective Cassidy also got that feeling as she watched Mr. Stilton exit the dining room quite quickly.

"I think it's time to investigate." said Cassidy, as she got up from her table and left the dining room as well.

* * *

Back with Fog...

"Alright kiddies, I think it's time to check out." said Fog, as he opened the storage room door.

As soon as he entered, he was confused as he only saw Sid sitting before him. She had also been freed from her ropes.

"What the-?"

Fog was suddenly knocked out by Nikki, who hit him in the back of the head with a fire extinguisher.

"Check that out loser." said Nikki.

"Sweet hit Nikk!" said Casey.

"Now let's get out of here!" said Sameer.

The Web Rogues suddenly rushed out of the storage room and found themselves in a dimly lit hallway. At the end of the hall, elevator doors opened and a familiar face emerged.

"Ronnie!" exclaimed Sid, as she ran to hug her best friend.

"Guys! What are you doing in here?" asked Tarantula confused.

"This fog guy scooped us up and brought us in here." said Sameer.

"Man, I should've known that clown would've came back." said Tarantula.

"Don't worry Santiago. We dealt with him." said Nikki.

"Wait. You guys fought him?" asked Tarantula.

"Not exactly. We kinda just knocked him out." said Casey.

"Wow. You guys really are Rogues. I'm proud of you." said Tarantula.

"You may have been able to take out my partner, but good luck getting through a brick wall." said Brickpile, suddenly appearing behind them.

Tarantula was about to make a move when Nikki stopped her.

"Hold up. Watch this." said Nikki.

When Brickpile saw Tarantula's apparent hesitation, he started to run towards her, which he would later find out would be his biggest mistake.

*Nikki shoots her yo-yo at Brickpile's feet which causes him to trip*

Tarantula saw this as a cue and shot two webs at the man's torso and used them to pull him down towards her. She then kneed his face a few times before elbowing the back of his neck.

Brickpile immediately went down, knocked unconscious like his foggy friend.

"Dang! That was vicious!" said Casey.

"I was getting tired of that guy." said Tarantula.

"I felt the same way. Thank you for getting rid of him. Now I'll do the same to you and your friends." said Inox, about to withdraw her blades.

Tarantula suddenly webbed both of her hands to the blades, temporarily immobilizing them.

"Guys, I think you better go. That's not gonna hold her too long." said Tarantula.

"But-"

"Come on Rogues, we gotta dip. Good luck Tarantula." said Nikki, cutting Sid off.

The Rogues then sprinted away and disappeared into a nearby stairwell. Just then, Inox broke free of the webbing and now brandished both blades before Tarantula.

"Friendship is important. You did the right thing by letting your friends go. Surely, they wouldn't want to see you bleed." said Inox.

"Huh. How ironic. You won't get to see me bleed either." said Tarantula, as she suddenly shot acid venom at Inox.

The acid venom slightly corroded her suit and Inox let out a disgruntled scream. When she focused herself again, Tarantula was gone.

"I will not let a child make me look bad!" said Inox, as she resumed her search for Tarantula.

As she walked past a corridor, Cassidy's head peeked out from an adjacent hallway.

"Whoa. I certainly got a lot more than I bargained for tonight. I better get these photos to the Commissioner." said Cassidy, as she quickly left the area via the stairwell.

* * *

Meanwhile with Tarantula...

*Tarantula suddenly enters a room and quickly closes the door behind her*

She then used her webs to pull a nearby filing cabinet towards her. She dragged the cabinet across the carpeted floor to barricade the door.

"If you think that'll deter Inox from hunting you down, you're wasting your time."

Tarantula suddenly turned around and was faced with a giant of a man.

He had blonde hair and a beard, had on a pin striped suit, and was wearing a yellow mask.

"Big Cheese?" asked Tarantula.

"You're very smart Tarantula. Very bright for a girl your age." said Big Cheese.

"Listen Cheese, I know you're running the system and I'm here to stop your corruption!" said Tarantula.

"Corruption? Au contraire my adventurous arachnid. I'm here to save this city...You want to know something about me Tarantula? I'm a lot like bacteria..." said Big Cheese.

Tarantula just stared at him as he continued to speak.

"Bacteria is used to make and shape cheeses, particularly swiss, my favorite. In a similar way, this city's "bacteria," the real source of its crime and corruption, touches and shapes everyone. *smirks* Look at you and I. You're a girl reenacting a comic book, and I'm a man doing what must be done to save this city." said Big Cheese.

"If you think you're trying to save this city, then you must be loopy from all the dairy you're eating. I'm the only hope for this city. Everyone else is corrupt!" said Tarantula.

Well Tarantula, I'm afraid there can't be two heroes in Great Lakes. Someone's gotta leave. What's it going to be?" asked Big Cheese.

Before Tarantula could respond, sirens could suddenly be heard approaching the restaurant above.

"Damn it Richards..." muttered Big Cheese under his breath.

"I'm not going anywhere Cheese. This city needs a Tarantula. If you don't like it, you can find a new city." said Tarantula.

"I'm afraid leaving isn't an option for me either. Very well, Tarantula. Let the saga begin." said Big Cheese, as he stepped backwards toward his bookcase and opened the top of a "cheese globe".

He pushed a button inside that moved the bookcase over, revealing a secret passageway.

Big Cheese then stepped inside, and the bookcase closed behind him.

"...I gotta get out of here." said Tarantula.

"Tarantula! *kicks the door* I know you're in there!" said Inox, trying to break into the office.

Tarantula quickly lifted herself onto the ceiling using her webs and then made a hole in the roof using her acid venom. She escaped through the hole that she made.

* * *

Later that night at the Casagrandes...

*Tarantula swings into her bedroom window*

Tarantula then closed the window and deactivated her pendant.

Ronnie Anne plopped onto her bed, exhausted from a night of crime fighting and investigating. She couldn't believe that she actually met Big Cheese but she knew this was just the beginning.

"*phone starts ringing and she answers it* Hello?" said Ronnie Anne.

"Ronnie! You're okay! I was getting really worried." said Sid.

"I'm fine Sid. I'm back at the house. Listen, it was great having you guys out there with me tonight, but if this is gonna be a regular thing, you guys are gonna need some gear." said Ronnie Anne.

"Oh my gosh yes! I'm so ready! Where are we gonna get the gear?" asked Sid.

"I'll ask my Uncle Carlos. He should have some ideas. And if not, I think I know someone else who could help us." said Ronnie Anne.

"Cool! I'm so excited! The Web Rogues are becoming a reality!" said Sid.

"They already are real Sid. I saw that for myself tonight. Thanks Sid. Say thanks to the others too." said Ronnie Anne.

"You're welcome Ronnie. Told you we had your back." said Sid.

"Yeah...*yawns* Alright, it's really late, I'm gonna get some sleep." said Ronnie Anne.

"Night Ronnie!" said Sid.

"Good night Sid." said Ronnie Anne, as she hung up the phone.

As Ronnie Anne drifted off to sleep, the scene switches to a view of the moonlit city. The citizens didn't know it yet, but Great Lakes City as they knew it was about to change.

_Forever._

* * *

**And that concludes Part 2 of the first ever _Tarantula's Tales _two parter! I hope you guys enjoyed this episode and are looking forward to more super updates!**

**As always, thank you all for reading, and I'll see you guys again soon. 65 out.**


	8. Episode 8: Trouble in Bloom

**It sure has been awhile guys. Welcome back to _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! _The story continues to unfold in this series, as more and more plotlines begin to get established.**

**Speaking of new plotlines, I have something to say after I address the reviews.**

**REVIEWS**

**Indy Scott - ****This series probably wouldn't have been as popular as it is without your help. Thanks for all the great ideas you've provided this series with. I really appreciate it.**

**J - I've never read any of those comics unfortunately, but I have heard of this concept before. Don't worry, the Web Rogues will be doing more than just tagging along in the future. But, that's a story for another time. Oh and Big Cheese and Tarantula will face off eventually. Maybe even sooner than you think.**

**JTWAS1994 - Thanks! Hope you enjoy today's episode! **

**Nick Name - Thanks for the names! I'm not sure if I'll use them yet or not, but they are interesting!**

**Guest - That's about the nicest way you could explain Cheese's persona on the surface. The big man is hiding some pretty dark secrets. Of course, these will be revealed in due time. The Web Rogues will be taking a bigger role in the action soon! Just you wait!**

**So, recently in the show, Arturo, Ronnie Anne and Bobby's dad, has moved back to Great Lakes City and is now one of the main characters. Of course, this means that I now have to write him into this story. Don't worry, he will make an appearance. Not this episode, but he'll appear sooner rather than ****later.**

**Alright! I think you all have been waiting long enough for the return of this series. Here we go with Episode 8! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome.**

**NB: Credit goes to a guest review for this episode's villain.** **Credit also goes to a guest review for an idea used in this episode. Thank you for your reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Casagrandes. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 8: Trouble in Bloom**

It is late afternoon in Central Park and a man is currently trimming a bush with some pruning shears.

"Ah! There you are love! Beautiful!" said the man, admiring his work.

He was about to reach for his watering can when suddenly Sergio swooped over his head and startled him.

"*squawks* Coming through!" said Sergio.

"*growls* Bird brain..." said the man.

Just then, Carl came along riding on Lalo's back, almost knocking the man over.

"Sorry about that!" said Carl.

The man just glared at them as they raced down the pathway.

Meanwhile, Carl was struggling to stay on top of Lalo, as the large canine was in hot pursuit of Sergio.

"*squawks* What's the matter big boy? Can't get up here?" taunted Sergio.

This prompted Lalo to jump into the air and start swiping at the bird. However, Sergio kept flying just out of reach.

"*grunts* Lalo! Calm down boy!" said Carl, quickly losing his balance atop the animal.

Lalo continued chasing Sergio throughout the park, almost knocking various people over in his path. Every time Sergio flew low above some bushes, he would always swoop up into the air at the last second, just before Lalo could catch him. This caused Lalo to continually run through several bushes the man had previously trimmed.

*the man notices Lalo destroying the bushes and adopts a scowl on his face*

Meanwhile, Sergio had led Carl and Lalo to the center of the park, where a beautiful rose garden was found. Housed as the centerpiece was an impressive looking rose bush. Sergio flew all around the garden, employing the same tactics to taunt and annoy Lalo. With each taunt, Lalo failed to grab Sergio and kept trampling over the rose beds as a result.

"Lalo! Stop! You're running over all these roses!" exclaimed Carl panicked.

However, Lalo didn't seem to heed Carl's warning and he continued chasing after the bird.

"*squawks* Bet you can't jump this high!" said Sergio, taunting Lalo again as he flew directly over the rose bush.

Lalo took the challenge and once again jumped high into the air to try and catch Sergio. However, Sergio flew just out of his reach once more and Lalo missed him. The next thing he and Carl knew, they were coming face to face with the huge rose bush.

*Lalo yelps in pain*

"Oww! I landed on thorns!" said Carl, also in pain.

"Carl! Lalo! Sergio! There you are! Where have you guys been? We've been waiting on you for dinner for the last hour!" said Ronnie Anne, suddenly running up.

"We kinda got carried away chasing Sergio." said Carl.

"*squawks* I left them in the weeds." said Sergio gloating.

"Come on. Let's get you out of there." said Ronnie Anne, as she pulled Carl free of the rose bush.

"Oww! I've got thorns in places they should not be!" said Carl.

"And I definitely don't want to know those places. Come on, let's get Lalo out." said Ronnie Anne.

"*squawks* Uh oh! Trouble at 12 o'clock!" exclaimed Sergio suddenly.

"Huh? But it's 6:30!" said Carl, checking his watch.

"I think he meant the guy walking up to us." said Ronnie Anne, pointing out the man from earlier.

"Oh man! That's one of the guys Lalo almost ran over! We're in so much trouble!" said Carl panicked.

"*squawks* We? Who's we? I'm outta here! See ya!" said Sergio.

He was about to fly away when he was suddenly stuck to a tree by a random web.

"*squawks* Hey! What gives?" said Sergio.

Ronnie Anne just dusted her hands before giving him a smirk.

"My garden...my...rose bush..." said the man, in disbelief.

"Listen sir, I'm sorry my cousin and pets messed up your garden. Is there anything we can do to help you out?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"*breathing heavily* Yes...there is something you can do. Take your cousin, your mangy mutt and that rat of a bird and get AWAY FROM MY GARDEN!" exclaimed the man, visibly angry.

"*squawks* Hey! Who are you calling a rat? *breaks free of web using his beak* Them's fighting words pal." said Sergio.

"Sergio! Cool it. (to the man) Look we're sorry. We'll just take our dog out of the bush and leave." said Ronnie Anne, trying to keep things calm.

"Hurry up." said the man.

Ronnie Anne and Carl used all their strength to pull Lalo free from the thorny rose bush. He was in pain as well, but he had no time to dwell on it as he followed behind Ronnie Anne and the others who were quickly leaving the area.

"*squawks* This ain't over." said Sergio.

"Sergio!" shouted Ronnie Anne.

"*squawks* Alright, I'm coming." said Sergio, following the group out of the park.

"*kneels down and picks up a crushed black rose* Look what they did to you beautiful. I promise that you will be avenged." said the man dramatically.

* * *

Later that night at Great Lakes City PD...

"Look, I'm sorry you had to close your restaurant, but my men are closing in on Tarantula. Trust me." said Richards, on the phone.

Just then, a knock was heard from his door as Detective Cassidy entered his office.

"Listen to me. This city isn't yours. I have enough trouble with that spider girl running around. I don't need your goons mucking about-Hello?...Hello?! Agh!" said Richards, as he hung up the phone in frustration.

"Sounds like a distressing call." said Cassidy, taking a seat.

"Uh...yes. Very distressing. Anyway, that's not what I called you in here for." said Richards, changing the subject.

"What's up?" asked Cassidy.

"These pictures you took two days ago are the clearest images we have of Tarantula right now. This is a good start, but we need to get closer to her." said Richards.

"What do you suggest?" asked Cassidy.

"Look at this picture. You captured Tarantula leaving an apartment building in the south side of town. You were lucky to catch the building number in the frame. I want you to investigate this area. I have a hunch Tarantula may live somewhere around there." said Richards.

"So you want me to do a stakeout?" asked Cassidy.

"Yes. Head out there tonight and hopefully you'll catch her in the act of some vigilantism." said Richards.

"Alright Richards. _Cassidy's on the case._" said Cassidy, getting up to leave.

"Good luck out there Cassidy." said Richards, as Detective Cassidy left his office.

Meanwhile at the Casagrandes...

"Oww!" exclaimed Carl.

"Alright hijo! That's the last thorn!" said Frida, taking the last thorn out with some tweezers.

"You and Lalo really should've been more careful Carl." said Maria.

"I know Tia Maria. I'm sorry." said Carl.

"It's okay sobrino. Now hold still. I have to disinfect these wounds." said Maria.

Carl just squirmed in his mother's arms.

*Lalo is heard whimpering very loudly*

"Come on you big baby! You have to take a bath! I have to get all the dirt out of your fur." said Rosa.

Lalo remained stationary though. He did not want to take a bath.

"*huffs* Where's Hector when you need him?" asked Rosa to herself.

"You need help abuela?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"If you can manage it hija. I don't want you to strain yourself." said Rosa.

"Come on Lalo. You've gotta take a bath boy! You don't want all that dirt on you forever right?" asked Ronnie Anne.

Lalo didn't respond. He didn't look like he was going anywhere.

"Alright. Guess I'll have to use force." said Ronnie Anne, as she shot out two webs that stuck to Lalo's fur.

She then started walking backward, trying to pull the large dog forward.

"*grunts* Come on! It's just a bath Lalo! *webs break* Whoa!" said Ronnie Anne, as she ended up falling on the floor.

Lalo then ran off, scared, in the other direction.

"Oh great! Lalo! Come back here! Don't make me get my slippers!" said Rosa, chasing after him.

Ronnie Anne sighed as she got up on her feet.

"I think it's time to chill." said Ronnie Anne, as she took out her headphones and phone and headed to her room.

At this point, the scene switches to outside the Casagrandes' apartment building, where it is revealed a mysterious figure is watching it from across the street. Suddenly, he sees some cars driving up the road and he flees the area.

* * *

Later on, in the middle of the night...

The mysterious figure is seen outside of the mercado, the Casagrande family store.

Suddenly, the glass in the door frame was shattered by a shovel. This immediately woke Ronnie Anne up, who was alerted by her spider senses.

"Something's wrong here..." said Ronnie Anne, to herself as she quickly jumped out of bed.

Across the street, near the mercado, Detective Cassidy also heard the loud noise of glass being shattered and decided to investigate.

"I better take my radio." said Cassidy, as she exited her vehicle.

Meanwhile, inside the store, the mystery man was currently vandalizing it. He was smashing the store shelves and the refrigerators with his shovel.

While he was doing this, Tarantula had appeared in the doorway behind him unbeknownst to him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" exclaimed Tarantula, upset on what she was seeing.

The man turned around suddenly upon hearing her voice. Tarantula couldn't see his face however, because it was obscured by the darkness surrounding him.

Instead of responding to her question, the mystery man suddenly charged at her with the shovel. Tarantula saw the challenge that he presented and took it with no hesitation. She shot a web at the shovel and used it to pull the man forward, and then jumped into the air and kicked him.

*mystery man lands on the ground*

"*kicks shovel away from him* You have a lot of nerve coming here and ruining this family's store. *leans in close* Who are you?" asked Tarantula.

The man ignored her question once more and suddenly tripped Tarantula down using a bull rake. He then got up, picked up his shovel, and then pulled the pins out of two grenades he had on his belt.

"I'm nobody..." said the mystery man, as he threw the grenades down and hastily left the store.

The grenades didn't explode, but filled the mercado with an odd bright green gas.

"*rushes out the store coughing* What the heck is his problem?" said Tarantula.

As she stood there trying to collect herself, Cassidy secretly took a photo of her from behind a nearby parked car.

"*looks around and then sighs* Guess that guy got away. He'll get his soon." said Tarantula, as she started scaling her apartment building to get back to her bedroom window.

"*looks at the picture* I'm getting real close to cracking this case." said Cassidy.

* * *

The next morning, the Casagrandes woke up to see their family business in shambles. The police had been called and were investigating the scene. The Casagrandes had to wait outside their store while they conducted their search.

"*peers through the window* Look at this place! Do you know how long this is going to take to clean up?!" said Rosa.

"Forget the cleaning! What about the repairs? I'm gonna go bankrupt after this!" said Hector.

"*sniffs the air and then reels in disgust* Ugh! What is that smell?" asked Carlota.

"It smells like it might be toxic." said Maria.

"It's some type of gas. I'm not sure what it is, but the guy who wrecked the store last night left some grenades behind filled with it." said Ronnie Anne.

"Who could've done this? We don't have any enemies do we?" asked Frida.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out. This guy's not getting away with this." said Ronnie Anne determined.

While the Casagrandes continued observing the damage to the store, Detective Cassidy was watching them from the street when someone in particular caught her eye.

Cassidy compares the photo of Tarantula to Ronnie Anne*

"Hmm..." said Cassidy, in thought.

"This is a real mystery! It will take someone with a high level of intellect to solve this!" said Carlos.

"Like a detective?" said Cassidy, suddenly appearing behind them.

"Who are you?" asked CJ.

"I'm Detective Cassidy with Great Lakes City PD. I was called to investigate a vandalism?" said Cassidy.

"Yes! Our store has been vandalized! Can you help us track down who's responsible?" asked Rosa.

"I'll do my best ma'am. I'd like to ask you all a few questions if you don't mind." said Cassidy.

"Sure! What do you need to know?" asked Rosa.

"Well, for starters, was anyone a witness to this vandalism?" asked Cassidy.

"Ronnie Anne was! She was here last night!" said CJ.

"CJ!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne, in surprise.

"Oh really? Ronnie Anne? Would you mind answering some questions for me? It would only take a minute." said Cassidy.

Ronnie Anne looked back to her family for guidance on what she should do.

"Use your judgment hija." said Hector, with his arms crossed.

"Go ahead Ronnie. It's fine." said Maria.

Ronnie Anne sighed and turned back to the detective.

"Alright. I'll answer some questions." said Ronnie Anne.

"Great. Follow me over to my squad car." said Cassidy, as she started walking to her car, with Ronnie Anne following behind.

*car doors open and Ronnie Anne and Cassidy hop inside*

"Alright Ronnie Anne. Why don't you start at the beginning. What time did this break in happen?" said Cassidy, holding a pen and notepad.

"Uh, it was around midnight I think. I didn't see the guy's face cause it was dark, but I'd say he was about your height and kinda slender in a way." said Ronnie Anne.

"Okay. That's a good start. Did he have any weapons?" asked Cassidy.

"Yeah, he used a shovel to break everything in the store." said Ronnie Anne.

"A shovel. Interesting. Anything else?" asked Cassidy.

"I think he had a rake or something. How are you gonna catch this guy?" asked Ronnie Anne curious.

"Well, there's not much the department can do for now with this limited amount of information. And since you didn't see this man's face, it obviously makes it difficult to identify him. By the way, what were you doing at the store so late last night? I read the sign on your window that says the store closes at 8 pm." said Cassidy.

"Uh...I heard the noise of the guy breaking in from my bedroom. So I decided to investigate." said Ronnie Anne nervously.

"But if you heard him initially breaking in, why didn't you just call the police then?" asked Cassidy.

Ronnie Anne was starting to sweat and panic as she tried to think of another response. While she was doing this, Cassidy took notice of an odd pendant on her wrist with a spider symbol on it.

"Cool bracelet. Where'd you get it?" asked Cassidy.

Ronnie Anne was suddenly brought out of her thoughts and focused on her question.

"Uh...*quickly covers up the pendant with her hoodie sleeve* It's nothing. Just a random bracelet. Listen, are we done here? I think I've told you everything you need to know." said Ronnie Anne.

"Just one more question Ronnie Anne. Have you ever seen Tarantula around this part of the city?" asked Cassidy.

"Uh..."

Before Ronnie Anne could respond, a knock was heard on her door.

Ronnie Anne opens it to see Carl there with Lalo and Sergio*

"Excuse me officer. We were wondering if you were done with Ronnie Anne. We wanted to go to the park." said Carl.

"I'm a detective son. And, yeah, Ronnie Anne's free to go." said Cassidy.

Ronnie Anne just gave her a look of confusion before hopping out of her vehicle.

"Come on Carl. Let's go." said Ronnie Anne, as she, Carl, Lalo, and Sergio left the squad car.

"Did you need to question anyone else?" asked Maria.

"No, that won't be necessary. Ronnie Anne gave me some very useful information. I'm gonna head back to the station to see if we can jumpstart this investigation. Don't worry, we'll do our best to catch this guy." said Cassidy.

"Oh thank you Detective! We appreciate this!" said Rosa.

"Anytime." said Cassidy, as she hopped in her squad car, and started driving away from the store.

*Cassidy pulls out her phone and dials a number*

"Hello?"

"Hey Richards. It's me. You got a minute? We need to talk." said Cassidy.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a seemingly abandoned shed on the outskirts of the park, the man who was gardening yesterday was seen sitting in a chair, motionless.

*flashbacks of war are rapidly going across his mind*

_"Private! Don't let them take the center! Guard the center!"_

_*explosion is heard followed by screams of agony*_

_The man is seen kneeling in defeat, looking at the blaze before him._

"Aghh! No!" exclaims the man suddenly.

He started hyperventilating and looking around the room. He ran up to a window and peered through it to check on his rose garden.

"Ah. It's still there. W-Wait a minute..."

The man suddenly saw Ronnie Anne, Carl, Lalo and Sergio entering the park. His demeanor immediately changed.

"*starts shaking a bit* I must protect the center. No more will fall. *looks at the crushed black rose* No more." said the man.

He then started scrambling around the shed, gathering his arsenal. He laid a bull rake, a shovel, two pistols, and a belt full of grenades out on a table.

This man put on a bulletproof vest and then covered it up with his overalls. His overalls were camo colored.

He then put on his helmet and strapped it on his head. Then, he holstered his pistols on both sides of him, put on his belt with grenades, and then holstered his shovel on his back.

"*picks up bull rake* Let's go to war." said the man, as he left the shed.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Anne, Carl, Lalo, and Sergio were currently just walking through the park.

"So why'd you want to come to the park again?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Oh! Uh, me, Lalo and Sergio just wanted to hang out and...we didn't want to go alone." said Carl, slightly ashamed.

"*squawks* By "we", he means him." said Sergio.

"Shut up Sergio!" exclaimed Carl.

"Hey it's cool Carl. I get it." said Ronnie Anne.

"Thanks Ronnie. So, what did that policewoman ask you?" asked Carl curious.

"Huh? Oh, nothing much. She just asked me about the guy who attacked the store last night." said Ronnie Anne.

"What did you say?" asked Carl.

"Well, I couldn't say much because I didn't really-"

"Ronnie Anne? What's wrong?-"

"Shh! Someone's watching us..." said Ronnie Anne.

Her spider senses had detected someone close by.

"*squawks* What do you mean someone's watching us? There's people everywhere in this park!" said Sergio.

"Listen, my senses have never steered me wrong before. You've gotta trust me on this." said Ronnie Anne.

"Maybe we should just leave. Coming here was a bad idea. Come on Lalo." said Carl, as he and Lalo started briskly walking towards the exit.

The man was hiding on the ground behind a bush and saw them attempting to leave.

"Enemies spotted." said the man, as he took aim with his pistols.

Gunshots suddenly rang out in the park and everyone immediately became tense. Ronnie Anne's senses were now dialed up completely and she started looking for the shooter.

*Ronnie Anne sees the man disappear from behind the bush at the last second*

"Carl! Lalo! Sergio! Come on! We're leaving!" said Ronnie Anne, hurrying everyone towards the exit.

The man now appeared behind a hedge and aimed his pistols again.

"I'm not a lousy shot General." said the man, as he shot at the group once more.

Luckily, Ronnie Anne had quick reflexes, and moved everyone out of the bullets' path at the last second. At this point, the rest of the civilians were fleeing the park in terror, after hearing the second round of gunshots.

Suddenly, two grenades landed in front of the group. Ronnie Anne instantly knew what they were as soon as she saw them.

"Stay back guys!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne, as she dove ttowards the grenades.

They detonated and started filling the area with the bright green gas again.

"*activates pendant and turns into Tarantula while coughing* Where is this guy? Goggles. Infrared mode." said Tarantula.

Tarantula looked around and couldn't see anyone through the gas. Then suddenly, it her. Well, it almost did.

*a bull rake lands right in front of Tarantula almost striking her*

Before Tarantula could react however, she was suddenly kicked in the chest and fell to the ground.

*the man picks up his bull rake and stares at Tarantula with pure hatred in his eyes*

"*grunts* Who are you?" asked Tarantula, in pain.

"My name's not important. I'm just _The Gardener. _My mission is to _destroy the weeds...and exterminate all the vermin._" said the man, now known as the Gardener.

The Gardener then reached for one of his pistols. Tarantula saw this and knew she had to act.

"*looks behind her* Guys! Get outta here! Run!" exclaimed Tarantula, as she shot a web out that stuck the Gardener's hand to his holster.

She then delivered a jump kick to his face that made him stumble backwards. Carl, Lalo and Sergio took this as a cue to leave.

Tarantula continued to deliver punches and kicks to the Gardener, but eventually he managed to trip her up.

"*gets tripped by the bull rake* Ugh! That stupid rake!" said Tarantula.

She then immediately rolled out of the way to avoid getting hit by it.

"You're ruining my garden spider. It's time for you to get squished." said the Gardener, as he reached behind his back and pulled out his shovel.

Now he was wielding both a bull rake and a shovel in each hand.

Tarantula started flipping backwards trying to evade getting struck with either weapon. She tried shooting a web at the shovel like before, but the Gardener broke her grip by swinging the tool, which broke apart the web. Tarantula was caught off guard by this, and she ended up getting struck down by the bull rake.

"You're not my main objective spider. Don't try and deter me from my mission." said the Gardener, as he started walking past her.

"*grunts as she tries to get up* Wait!" exclaimed Tarantula.

Her cry was answered by another gas bomb, which disoriented her.

* * *

Meanwhile Carl, Lalo and Sergio were currently hiding behind the rose bush in the garden.

"Oh man! This is not good! That gardener has gone crazy!" said Carl, freaking out.

"*squawks* Let him try me again. I'll show him what crazy is!" said Sergio.

"Sergio, he has guns! He'll kill you!" exclaimed Carl.

"*squawks* Nothing can keep this bird down! *squawks in pain*-"

"Sergio!" exclaimed Carl, in shock.

He was now witnessing Sergio on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

"*squawks a bit weaker* Great. *coughs* Cheap shot." said Sergio.

"Please...wherever you are, we're sorry okay? I'm sorry! We shouldn't have messed up your rose bush! If you let us leave, we'll never come back!" exclaimed Carl, literally shaking at this point.

Lalo was curled up in a ball next to him.

Suddenly, a bush was seen rustling and this startled Carl and Lalo. It was silent for a few seconds when suddenly...

_BANG!_

Carl and Lalo had closed their eyes expecting the worst, but opened their eyes to see that they were unharmed. They then took notice of Tarantula standing before them, panting as she held the bullet that would have struck them between the tips of her fingers.

"*melts the bullet with her acid venom* Are you guys okay?" asked Tarantula.

Carl and Lalo just shook their heads yes, still too much in shock to give a response. Tarantula then looked over and saw Sergio bleeding on the ground. She immediately felt her heart drop and she started boiling over with rage.

"Alright Gardener! Come out and stop hiding in the bushes! There's no excuse to do any of this over some stupid roses!" exclaimed Tarantula.

Something inside the Gardener suddenly snapped and he rushed out of his hiding place towards Tarantula with full fury. Before he could do anything however, he was suddenly struck down by an electrical sensation.

Tarantula looked behind her to see that police had arrived on scene and one of them had tased the Gardener.

"Freeze! Tarantula!" exclaimed another officer, weapon gone.

"This city will never accept me." said Tarantula to herself, as she shot a web out and swung away from the garden.

Several officers took aim at her but they all missed.

"Are you okay kid?" asked Richards, walking up.

"Uh, yeah, but my bird, he's-"

"Okay!" exclaimed Sergio, suddenly flying next to the group again.

"Wha? Sergio! How'd you-"

"Alright kid, you and your pets better get out of here. This is a police investigation now." said Richards.

"R-Right. Thank you officer." said Carl.

"Commissioner." said Richards, as he walked away.

Carl, Lalo and Sergio then left the park, with Carl feeling confused.

Meanwhile with Tarantula...

*swings into an alleyway and ducks behind a dumpster*

"*looks around* Looks like the coast is clear." said Tarantula.

"Check over there Detective!"

"I'm on it!" said Cassidy.

"Oh shoot!" said Tarantula, as she had already pressed the button on her pendant to deactivate it, just as Cassidy had turned the corner into the alleyway.

*Cassidy sees Tarantula transform into Ronnie Anne and smirks*

"You see her over there Detective?" asked an officer.

Cassidy looked at Tarantula who had a look of absolute nervousness on her face.

"Nope. Nothing over here. Just an empty alleyway." said Cassidy.

"Alright, let's keep searching everyone!" said the officer.

"You don't have to thank me. I saw what you did today. It took a lot of guts. If you ask me, they've got you figured out all wrong in this city." said Cassidy.

Ronnie Anne was still confused and a bit in shock, but managed to pull herself together and started backing away from the detective.

"*phone rings and she answers it* Hello?...No, we're still looking for Tarantula...She's sneaky you know. *looks behind her and winks at Ronnie Anne* She might have gotten away already." said Cassidy, as she left the alleyway, leaving Ronnie Anne behind.

Ronnie Anne just smiled before slipping away.

* * *

Later that night at the Casagrandes...

"Our top story tonight. Ex-soldier Timothy Lloyd has been arrested today, after attacking Central Park in a crazed war spree. He apparently calls himself the Gardener and appeared to be after an unidentified young boy and his pets. They were thankfully saved by the police department, but witnesses are claiming that Tarantula may be the real hero. More to come on this story after the break."

"I can't believe a gardener destroyed my store. Who's gonna compensate me for this?" said Hector.

"I don't think anybody is going to Papa. Not in this city." said Maria.

"It's just not fair. Someone trashes our place and we're left to pick up the pieces?" said Carlota upset.

"That's just how the system works Carlota. And this is another reason why I have to take it down." said Ronnie Anne.

"Well, you certainly took that man down today. We're so proud of you hija." said Rosa.

"Thanks guys." said Ronnie Anne, as the other Casagrandes surrounded her and gave her a hug.

"I can't believe that guy got so mad over some roses!" said Carl.

"You never know what'll set someone off in this city." said Ronnie Anne.

"Alright everyone. Time for dinner." said Rosa, as she led everyone to the table.

As the Casagrandes settled in for dinner, the scene suddenly switches to the Great Lakes City PD, where Commissioner Richards is having a meeting with Detective Cassidy.

"We can't keep letting Tarantula slip away like this. I'm convinced that she is living in the south side of the city." said Richards.

"What are you thinking?" asked Cassidy.

"Well, your investigation has been slightly successful so far, but pictures isn't enough. I need to catch that spider now. I want you to fully investigate the neighborhood. Go undercover. Do whatever you have to do Cassidy." said Richards.

"You got it Richards." said Cassidy, turning to leave his office.

"Oh, and from now on, whenever you encounter Tarantula again, I want you to immediately call for backup. We need to get the jump on Tarantula before she can disappear again." said Richards.

"Sure...I'll do that." said Cassidy, as she left Richards' office.

Richards then put his feet on his desk and leaned back in his chair, contentedly smoking a cigarette.

* * *

**Man oh man! This was a crazy episode! Ronnie Anne is meeting more and more crazed villains and is also gaining more and more enemies.**

**The police department wants to close in on the identity of our vigilante spider, but luckily for Tarantula, she appears to have a friend on the inside. How will this relationship play out in the future? You'll have to stick around to find out!**

**Thank you all for reading and look out for a new _Dimensional Adventure _and the next episode of _SLTS: Season 2 _coming soon!**

**This has been 65rogeryork and I'm out! Peace.**


	9. The Casaguardianes?

**Hey guys. It's 65. I just wanted to address this topic really quick. I've seen a lot of people asking me if the rest of the Casagrandes will receive powers in the future. So let me just answer this question now...**

**Yes.**

**Yes, the other Casagrandes will be joining Ronnie Anne in the future but this won't be happening any time soon really. I can't really spoil details, but for those who are curious just know that it will be coming.**

**Alright, that's all for my announcement. Thank you all for reading and I'll see you guys around. Have a good one guys.**


	10. Episode 9: What Lies Beneath Part 1

**I hope you guys are sitting down for this one, cause things are about to get a little _wild. _But more on that later...**

**REVIEWS**

**Matthew Crispin - I have been thinking of having a crossover of that nature. We'll have to see what happens in the future but it's definitely a possibility.**

**Indy Scott - A lot sure did happen last episode and a lot more is about to happen in this one, so stay tuned! Also, about Sergio, that'll be explained in due time. ;)**

**Guest - Wow. That's an impressive headcanon for Lloyd. I'll be honest what I was originally thinking was nowhere near as detailed as what you wrote. So thanks! This may very well be Lloyd's official backstory the next time he appears.**

**Guest - Yup. Her senses have been heightened tenfold, which allows her to do stuff like that. It's pretty nerve wracking but useful to have.**

**J - Wow. Those kids sound awesome! I should probably check those stories out sometime. If I can still find them that is. Oh and about the Web Rogues, their role is about to be significantly expanded in this episode.**

**Guest - Yeah, Cassidy's got a difficult road ahead of her going forward. Also, I'm still trying to think of a poison villain but the process has been a bit slow so far.**

**JTWAS1994 - I'm glad you're always excited for these stories. Well, I better not keep you waiting any longer. Let's get to the episode!**

**Today's episode is going to be a two parter! And I'll let this first part speak for itself. See you guys at the end! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: This episode was inspired by UnnaturalEnemies. Credit also goes to a guest review and Nick Name for ideas used in this episode. Thank you for your reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Casagrandes. I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 9****: What Lies Beneath Part 1**

Stanley Chang was driving the last subway train route for the day. It was late afternoon and his last stop was in the northern part of Great Lakes.

"Alright folks, we'll be reaching the station soon. Please ensure that you locate all your belongings before you exit the subway." said Stanley, over the intercom.

Stanley focused his attention back on the rails in front of him, as he stared at a seemingly endless black void. He kept pushing through the tunnel as normal when suddenly...

*a loud thump is heard at the rear of the train*

"Huh?"

Stanley looked at the dashboard in front him and realized that the rear of the train had been slightly damaged. Before he had time to really inquire about it, more thumps were heard above him, as something seemed to be running on top of the train.

*passengers are starting to freak out*

"Please remain calm everyone. I'm not sure what's going on, but I assure you that we're-"

Suddenly, a large creature of some sort appeared on the train's windshield.

This creature appeared to be a humanoid mantis hybrid. It had four arms. Two of them were located on its shoulders, which looked like human-like mantis arms. And the other two were in regular position in retrospect to an actual human. They more closely resembled the traditional praying mantis arms. This creature also appeared to have a mantis' abdomen on his lower back.

Stanley was frozen in shock and fear as the mantis hybrid leapt from the windshield and started running away from the train further down the tunnel.

It took Stanley a minute to process what just happened.

"Um...we're almost at our destination people!...Please disregard uh...whatever you just saw. Thank you." said Stanley, really confused.

* * *

Later that night at the Changs' apartment...

"...It was big and green and it had four arms! Four! It was horrible honey!" said Stanley, shaking in his wife's arms.

"It sounds like you're describing a giant praying mantis Stan, but I highly doubt mantises grow that big." said Becca Chang.

"Maybe it's a super mantis!" exclaimed Adelaide.

"Or it could be a mutation." said Sid.

"Whatever it is, I'm not going back in those tunnels until it's gone. I talked to the GLART Board of Directors already. They're shutting down the subway system to the public until further notice." said Stanley.

"I think that's for the best. We don't want anybody getting hurt." said Becca.

"But Mom, it doesn't sound like the mantis man was trying to hurt anybody! Dad said he was running away!" said Adelaide.

"Well of course he ran away! He obviously didn't want anybody to see him." said Stanley.

A brief silence followed after his statement. Becca looked over at Sid in concern, who was unusually quiet.

"Sid? Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet." said Sid.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Mom, I was just thinking about the situation, that's all." said Sid.

Before Becca could respond to this further, a knock was heard at their door.

"Ooh. That must be the pizza guy. I'll get it." said Becca, breaking the embrace from Stanley, as she went to go answer the door.

Sid breathed a sigh of relief while Adelaide had a determined look on her face. It seemed like she wasn't thoroughly convinced of the events that took place in the subway that afternoon.

* * *

Even later that night, around midnight...

*the door to Adelaide's room squeaks open and Adelaide pokes her head outside*

"Coast is clear." said Adelaide, as she closed the door and went to open her bedroom window.

She was wearing what looked to be a spy outfit. It was a black suit with black gloves and boots and a black tam to match. She also had a black backpack.

Adelaide hopped out her bedroom window and landed on the fire escape stairs.

"I'm gonna find you Mr. Mantis Man." said Adelaide, as she quickly ran down the stairs to reach street level.

A few minutes later, she had reached the subway entrance in the south side of Great Lakes City.

"*pulls out flashlight and turns it on* Time to investigate." said Adelaide.

She walked around the temporarily abandoned subway tunnels searching endlessly for the mantis creature. She had been at it for awhile and was starting to get tired.

"Ugh...I should've packed a snack." said Adelaide.

Suddenly, she saw a bright red flash on the tunnel wall before her followed by a human-like scream.

"*gasps* This could be him!" said Adelaide, as she hustled down the tunnel to see what was going on.

As she turned the corner, she saw it. She saw the mantis creature jumping around, swatting at larvinauts that were swarming around him.

"Grr! Leave me alone!" exclaimed the mantis creature.

_"Manitrex. You will return to me at once!" _said a familiar female voice.

"Who is that?" said Adelaide to herself.

Suddenly, one of the larvinauts took notice of Adelaide's presence and started shooting laser blasts at her.

"Ahh!" cried Adelaide, as she dove out of the way.

The mantis creature suddenly took notice of her as well and decided to act. It swiped at the larvinauts around it with it's upper forearms, destroying them. It then gave chase after Adelaide.

Meanwhile, the larvinaut who had spotted Adelaide was currently chasing her through the tunnel, taking shots at her with its laser blasts.

Adelaide was panting heavily and was very frightened at this point. Suddenly, she tripped over a rail and fell to the ground.

"*looks up and sees the larvinaut hovering over her* Um...hi. I'm Adelaide...Please don't hurt me!" said Adelaide trembling.

Before the larvinaut could do anything however, it was suddenly struck down out of nowhere.

Adelaide looked up in shock to see the mantis creature had saved her.

"Hey...are you alright?" asked the mantis creature.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." said Adelaide, still in shock.

"Good. Now get out of here. This is no place for little girls." said the mantis creature, turning to leave.

"Wait! Who are you?" asked Adelaide.

"It's best you don't know about me, little girl." said the mantis creature.

"I have a name you know! It's Adelaide. Nice to meet you uh...well, since you don't want to tell me your name, I'll give you one!" said Adelaide.

"*smirks* Whatever floats your boat kid..." said the mantis creature.

"_Oliver! _I'll name you Oliver! Oliver the mantis!" said Adelaide.

"Thanks. Now I really must be going." said Oliver.

"Wait! Before you go, why did you save me?" asked Adelaide.

"Cause I'm not a monster, even though that's what the public thinks. I'm a good guy at heart." said Oliver.

Adelaide just smiled at him brightly.

"Thank you Oliver." said Adelaide.

"You're welcome...Adelaide." said Oliver, as he hopped away from her, disappearing into the dark void of the tunnel.

A few minutes later, back at the Changs' apartment...

*Adelaide hops back through her bedroom window and closes it*

Suddenly, the lights in her room are switched on and she becomes startled.

"*turns around* Sid?!" said Adelaide shocked.

"Adelaide! What were you doing?! Where were you?" asked Sid.

"Um...I went to find the mantis man." said Adelaide.

"You what?! You went down into the tunnels by yourself?!" exclaimed Sid, a bit loudly.

"Yes, I did! Please don't tell Mom and Dad Sid! I had to find him!" said Adelaide, pleading with her sister.

"Why?" asked Sid curious.

"I knew he wasn't a bad guy, and he isn't! People just have the wrong idea about him!" said Adelaide.

"So wait, you met him?" asked Sid.

"Yeah! He was trying to get away from some robot things. One of them turned on me and started shooting at me, but he saved me!" said Adelaide.

"Wait. Did you say _robots?_" asked Sid.

"Yeah." said Adelaide.

"Like, mini robots? How did they look?" asked Sid.

"They were shaped like bugs or something. _Caterpillars_ maybe?" said Adelaide.

_"Caterpillars..." _thought Sid.

She suddenly had a flashback of a larvinaut, when one invaded Ronnie Anne's room.

"Sid? Sid?! Are you okay?" asked Adelaide.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I was just-"

"Thinking again?" asked Adelaide.

"Right. Thinking." said Sid.

"So...you're not gonna tell Mom and Dad about this right?" asked Adelaide.

"No, but please don't do this again Adelaide. I don't want you to get hurt." said Sid.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about him you know? I don't think he's a monster." said Adelaide.

"Yeah...you may be right..." said Sid, thinking about the situation again.

* * *

The next morning at the Casagrandes...

"The Great Lakes Area Rail Transit system has been shut down until further notice. A mutant mantis monster was spotted in the tunnels beneath the city yesterday and now the police are launching an investigation into the matter."

The Casagrandes were all grouped together in the living room watching the morning news. They were all shocked by what was being reported on, but even more so was Ronnie Anne.

_"Mutant mantis monster? Why does it feel like there's a bigger story here?" _thought Ronnie Anne.

She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by her cellphone ringing.

"Sorry guys. I'll be right back." said Ronnie Anne, as she got up from the couch and went to her room.

"*closes room door and answers the phone* Hello?" said Ronnie Anne.

"Turn around Ronnie!" said Sid.

Ronnie Anne turned around to see Sid by her bedroom window. She opened it up and let her inside.

"Sid. What's up?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"I'm not sure but, I know something's wrong." said Sid.

"What is it?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"You've heard about the mantis monster right?" asked Sid.

"Yeah the news is giving a report on it right now." said Ronnie Anne.

Ronnie Anne suddenly noticed that something was bothering Sid. Her hands were shaking, she had beads of sweat on her forehead, and her eyes were darting all over the place.

"Sid. Are you okay?" asked Ronnie Anne concerned.

"*sighs* You're the third person who's asked me that. Ronnie, I have some news about that mantis guy. I don't think he's a monster." said Sid.

"How can you tell?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"*sighs again* Adelaide snuck out last night to find him and she did." said Sid.

"She didn't get hurt right?" asked Ronnie Anne concerned.

"That's the thing. She said the mantis saved her." said Sid.

"Saved her from what?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Mini robots that looked like _caterpillars..._" said Sid.

Ronnie Anne suddenly tensed up a bit.

"Ronnie?" said Sid.

"Larvinauts...Butterfly...Wait. Butterfly! That's it! Butterfly has to be behind this!" said Ronnie Anne.

"That's what I was thinking too. Adelaide said the mantis was trying to get away from the larvinauts." said Sid.

"This mantis guy must've just escaped from Butterfly's hideout or something..." said Ronnie Anne.

Suddenly, Ronnie Anne had a flashback.

**FLASHBACK**

_"Tell Madame Butterfly I want my brother back." said Tarantula sternly._

_"I don't think you'd want him back now. He's not your brother anymore." said Mosquito._

**END OF FLASHBACK **

"Ronnie Anne? You don't think its...your brother..." said Sid reluctantly.

"*shakes her head* Either way, we have to find out! We have to explore those tunnels and find that mantis!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Wait. We?" said Sid surprised.

"Yes, _we. _I can't do this alone. Call up the rest of the _Rogues _and tell 'em to come over here. We've got a mission to do." said Ronnie Anne.

* * *

About an half hour later...

"Thanks for coming guys. Sid already told you what's going down?" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Yeah, she said we're looking for a mantis?" asked Casey confused.

"Wait, you don't mean the mantis mutant that's in the tunnels do you?" asked Sameer.

"Yes. I don't think this mantis is a monster. Sid's sister saw him fighting off larvinauts last night." said Ronnie Anne.

"Larvinauts?" said Sameer.

"*gasps* This mantis must be connected to Madame Butterfly somehow!" said Nikki.

"It's a hunch, but I have to follow it. We have to find this mantis!" said Ronnie Anne.

"So are we doing a stakeout like last time?" asked Casey.

"Not exactly. Uncle Carlos and a _friend _have been working on some inventions for you guys so you can help me in the field." said Ronnie Anne.

"Wait, you mean-?"

"Yup! Say hello to your new _Rogue Pendants! _Uh, name patent pending. These were designed by our good friend _Lisa Loud._" said Carlos, entering the room from his makeshift lab, which was housed in his closet.

"Hello everyone. I am Lisa as you've just heard. Ronnie Anne asked me to help make some hero gadgets for you all." said Lisa, exiting the lab behind Carlos.

"Wait. You made these?! You look like you're five years old!" said Casey astonished.

"I am four years old to be exact. I am described to be, as you say, a super genius." said Lisa.

"I should probably mention this now. Lisa's actually a superhero." said Ronnie Anne.

"Wait what?!" said Nikki floored.

"Yeah. Ever heard of _Super Thunder?_" asked Ronnie Anne.

"Who hasn't?!" said Casey.

"My family and I fight crime in Royal Woods pretty much on a daily basis." said Lisa.

"You guys remember _Lincoln _right? She's his sister." said Ronnie Anne.

"Oh..." said all the Rogues in unison.

"Wow Ronnie Anne! You know a lot of cool people!" said Sameer.

"It comes with being a hero I guess. And now you guys get to join me!" said Ronnie Anne.

"Come on guys, let's try out these pendants!" said Sid, as she slid hers on her wrist.

The other Rogues did the same. Then, with a push of each of their buttons, digital images of super suits were scanned onto them.

Nikki's suit was a light blue suit of armor with a dark blue swirl insignia on the front. Her suit also came with a light blue full head helmet that had a tinted visor. Attached at her feet were modified skates with rocket boosters.

Casey's suit was a golden suit of armor with red flame accents. He had a golden shield on the front with a flame insignia on it and also wore gold goggles with flame accents on them as well. He also had a jetpack with the same gold and red flame color scheme.

Sameer's suit was tan with two orange spark insignias on the front. His mask was tan with a brown trim. His gloves and boots appeared to have special grips built into them.

Sid's suit was pink with a moon insignia on the front. She had a pink helmet with a tinted visor that only covered her eyes. She also had a mini pink mohawk at the top of the helmet. Around her waist appeared to be a new version of Lisa's anti-gravity belt.

"Whoa! Sweet! I have a jetpack!" said Casey.

"Called it!" said Sid.

"What are these, rocket skates?" asked Nikki.

"Precisely. These skates will help you zoom through Great Lakes City at rapid speed. Essentially giving you super speed." said Lisa.

"Whoa! This is gonna be way better than shredding." said Nikki.

"What can I do?" asked Sameer.

"Your suit allows you to alter the friction of surfaces by touching them. The dials in your gloves tell the suit to either make the surface very slippery or very coarse." said Lisa.

"Wow. Sounds complicated." said Sameer, scratching his head.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it." said Lisa.

"What's with this belt Lisa?" asked Sid, fiddling around with the anti-gravity belt.

"That belt is the key to your powers! You can use it to alter the gravity around you. This means you can make things lighter or heavier, you can suspend things in midair, and you can essentially fly." said Lisa.

"Awesome! I've always wanted to fly! I can soar like an eagle!" said Sid.

"What about me?" asked Casey.

"Your suit is equipped with high-tech super armor! That shield in the front is detachable, so you can use it as a weapon or for defense. And of course, you also have a jetpack to aid you in flight." said Lisa.

"Sweet! Thanks Lisa!" said Casey.

"You're all very welcome." said Lisa.

"This is it guys! We're all officially _Web Rogues__!_" said Sid excitedly.

"Yup. *activates her pendant* _Tarantula and the Web Rogues." _said Tarantula, entering a pose in front of her new team.

*a flash of light suddenly flashes across them*

"Sorry. I just couldn't resist! They're all so cute! Ronnie Anne finally has a team!" said Frida, holding a camera in her hands.

"Ooh, speaking of that, you guys still need hero names." said Tarantula.

"I think I've got mine. _Rocket._" said Casey, now known as Rocket.

"Hmm...how about _Express?" _said Nikki, now known as Express.

"Uh...what did you say I can do again?" asked Sameer.

"You can alter the _friction _of different surfaces." said Lisa.

"That's it! I'll be _Friction!_" said Sameer, now known as Friction.

"Okay. I've gotta think hard about this. The name is one of the things that defines a superhero!" said Sid.

"Maybe your name could have something to do with your gravity powers Sid." said Tarantula.

"How about Zero Gravity?" said Sameer.

"G-Force?" said Casey.

"Or maybe _Orbit? _Since you can change gravity and different planets have different gravities around them." said Nikki.

"That's perfect! Thanks Nikki! From now on, I'll be known as _Orbit!_" said Sid, now known as Orbit.

"Great. Well, it looks like you all are ready to do some investigating-"

Lisa suddenly stopped talking as she suddenly received a vision.

"Lisa?" said Sameer.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Nikki concerned.

"Her powers allow her to see visions from time to time." said Carlos.

"That's right and the one I had just showed me your television for some reason." said Lisa.

"Ronnie! You guys gotta see this! The Commissioner of police is bringing in soldiers from Royal Woods to help catch the mantis monster!" said Carlota, bursting into the room.

Everyone in the room suddenly ran to the living room to see what was going on.

"And are you sure military assistance is necessary for this case Commissioner?" asked Sandra Gayle, the news reporter.

"Of course. This is a mutant we're dealing with may I remind you. The military unit from Royal Woods will be very helpful in tracking this monster down." said Richards.

"Well, the city is hoping that you are successful in catching this monster." said Sandra.

"I give the city my word that we will catch this mantis. This monster won't be terrorizing the subways for much longer." said Richards.

"Thank you Commissioner Richards." said Sandra.

Commissioner Richards gave a head nod as he walked away from the reporter.

"Well, there you have it folks. The police are fully aware of the situation and are currently handling it as we speak. This is Sandra Gayle reporting live for-"

"We've gotta move guys! The police aren't playing around!" said Tarantula.

"I'll say. Especially if they're enlisting the help of the Royal Woods military. I think I better tag along with you guys to offer extra assistance." said Lisa, as she activated her PortaPendant and donned her super suit.

"Thanks Lisa. Alright Rogues, you ready?" said Tarantula.

"Let's do this!" said Nikki.

"You kids be careful. Especially you Ronnie Anne." said Maria.

"Don't worry Mom, we will. Let's go!" said Tarantula.

Tarantula, Super Sense, and the newly formed Web Rogues were then seen jumping from the top of the Casagrandes' apartment building, into the city below.

* * *

Meanwhile with Madame Butterfly...

*Madame Butterfly sees Tarantula and the others leap from the building*

"Mosquito." said MB.

"*suddenly appears* Yes Madame?" said Mosquito.

"We have another bug problem." said MB.

"Tarantula?" asked Mosquito.

"Yes, and this time it seems she has some extra help. They've formed a search party to look for _Manitrex._" said MB.

"I see. So you want me to-"

"Stop them at all costs yes, and also bring that mantis back here before he gives away my location." said MB.

"Don't worry Madame. I will find him." said Mosquito.

"Please do so." said MB.

Mosquito then shrunk down to microscopic size and disappeared.

Madame Butterfly then smirked to herself before saying:

"Bunch of pests..."

* * *

**The stakes are high in this episode! Ronnie Anne has enlisted the help of her friends to help track down a supposed mantis monster hiding out in the city subway tunnels.**

**However, her group aren't the only ones after this mantis. Between the police and Madame Butterfly, Tarantula and the Web Rogues have a tough mission ahead of them in Part 2 of this episode!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed Part 1. Let me know what you thought of it! Next time, there's gonna be some real action so stay tuned for that.**

**Alright, that's it for this outro. Thank you guys for reading and I'll see you all next time. 65 out.**


	11. Episode 10: What Lies Beneath Part 2

**Welcome back to _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! _I'm sorry I've been gone so long but I have been busy planning a lot of stuff for my future stories. Anyways, we have to wrap this episode up, so let's get these reviews done first!**

**REVIEWS**

**Matthew Crispin -** **Well, we shall see Matthew! Read to the end to find out! :)**

**JTWAS1994 - I'm glad you're excited!**

**Guest - You're welcome. I didn't think anyone would catch that because it was so subtle. Don't worry, I'll be exploring more on your idea in the future.**

**Nick Name - Yeah I figured it was time they joined in. As always, thanks for all your help!**

**Guest - Yes, this is a very important two parter indeed. Stay tuned because this episode has a few surprises in store.**

**NB: By the way, Season 2 of _Super Louds: The Series _has recently come to an end. For those who haven't seen the season finale, feel free to check it out!**

**Alright! With that out the way, let's get into Part 2 of this episode! Reviews and constructive criticism welcome!**

**NB: This episode was inspired by UnnaturalEnemies. Credit also goes to a guest review and Nick Name for ideas used in this episode. Shout out also to Indy Scott for a scene idea in this episode. Thank you all.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Casagrandes. I do not own the Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.**

* * *

**NB: The theme song is Feel Invincible by Skillet. Some lyrics have been slightly modified to fit the series. Otherwise, the song is exactly the same. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Theme Song**

_Target on my back_

_Lone survivor lasts_

_They got me in their sights_

_No surrender no_

_Webs and stingers go_

_Living the dangerous life_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_Everyday when I wake_

_I'm trying to get up_

_They're knocking me down_

_Chewing me up_

_Spitting me out_

_Hey, hey, hey_

_When I need to be brave_

_You're making me strong_

_You're making me stand_

_Never will fall!_

_Never will end!_

_Shot like a rocket up into the sky_

_Nothing could stop me tonight_

_You make me feel invincible_

_Earthquake powerful_

_Just like a tidal wave_

_You make me brave_

_You're my titanium_

_Fight song raising up_

_Like a roar of victory in a stadium_

_Who can touch me 'cause I_

_(I'm made of fire!)_

_Who can stop me tonight_

_(I'm hard-wired!)_

_You make me feel invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

_I feel, I feel it!_

_Invincible!_

* * *

**Episode 10: What Lies Beneath Part 2**

Tarantula, Super Sense and the Web Rogues had just landed in an alleyway not too far from the southern entrance to the subway tunnels. Police officers from Great Lakes PD had already formed a barricade to block the entrance.

"Whoa. Those police move quick!" said Express.

"Yes indeed. I suspect that the Commissioner has already sent soldiers inside the tunnels, meaning we should all get a move on." said Super Sense.

"Right. Okay, here's the plan. Lisa, you take Nikki and Sameer with you. See if you can find another way in." said Tarantula.

"Will do Tarantula. Follow me comrades!" said Super Sense, as she left the group, with Friction and Express tagging behind.

"Alright Ronnie, what's the plan for us?" asked Rocket.

"Hmm...Lisa said that shield's detachable right?" asked Tarantula.

Just then, Tarantula, Orbit, and Rocket all smirked at each other as they suddenly came up with an idea.

Suddenly, without warning, a golden shield came out of nowhere and knocked two of the officers forming the barricade down.

"*grunts* Where the heck did that shield come from?" asked one of the officers.

"Don't look now, but I think we're about to find out!" exclaimed the other officer.

All the officers present suddenly took notice of Rocket propelling towards them at rapid speed, with Tarantula and Orbit clinging onto his back.

*Orbit turns the dial on her anti-gravity belt which makes the officers lighter*

"Sorry officers, but us heroes are coming through!" exclaimed Orbit.

"I'll take that!" said Tarantula, as she shot a web at Rocket's shield and pulled it to herself as the three rocketed past the cops.

With Orbit now out of range, the effects of her anti-gravity belt wore off, and the officers came crashing back down to Earth.

"Oww! I landed on my walkie talkie!" said another officer.

Suddenly, some static came from said walkie talkie, indicating that someone was on the other line.

"Vernon, over." said Officer Vernon.

"Vernon! How are things on the south side?" asked Richards.

"Uh...well, they were going great sir...until Tarantula and her friends showed up." said Vernon.

"What?! *growls* Do not leave your post! I am going to speak to the General immediately!" said Richards.

"Yes sir..." said Vernon.

"Oh and Vernon?" said Richards.

"Yes?..." said Vernon.

"Get your head out of the clouds!" exclaimed Richards.

"Well actually sir, my officers and I were-Hello?..."

Richards had ended the conversation.

"*sighs* Alright men! Let's get up and get back to work." said Vernon, as he and the other officers reformed the barricade and assumed their positions again.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Changs' apartment...

"Adelaide! I have lunch ready sweetheart." said Becca, as she knocked on Adelaide's room door.

She then opened it and peeked her head inside. There, in the corner of the room, she saw Adelaide sleeping, her back turned from the door.

"Aww, she's asleep. I guess I'll save her lunch for later then." said Becca, in a whispered tone.

She then quietly tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently behind her. As soon as the door was closed, Adelaide immediately sat up in her bed.

"Yes! The coast is clear!" said Adelaide, as she got out from under her covers, revealing that she was wearing her spy outfit again.

"Huh. Where did I put my tam?" asked Adelaide, as she started looking for it.

Suddenly, a loud 'ribbit' was heard from across the room.

"*gasps* Froggy! You found it!" said Adelaide, as she rushed over to her pet frog and retrieved her tam.

"*puts the tam on* You wanna come Froggy? It'll be our little adventure!" said Adelaide.

Froggy 2 replied with a hearty 'ribbit' before hopping onto Adelaide's head.

"Come on! We have to find Oliver before he gets hurt!" said Adelaide, as she hopped out of her bedroom window, and scurried down the fire escape stairs.

* * *

Meanwhile with Super Sense, Friction, and Express...

*a service door is suddenly forced open*

"Wow. Those battle arms of yours are really strong!" said Friction.

"Thank you. They certainly come in handy during combat." said Super Sense.

"Hey Sense, where are we right now?" asked Express.

"We're currently in the eastern part of the Great Lakes tunnels. Seeing as how the creature in question was last spotted in the northern tunnels, I suggest we start heading that way." said Super Sense.

"Sounds good to me." said Friction.

"Let's get a move on!" said Express.

_"Keep going men! It sounds like there's something up ahead!"_

Super Sense suddenly tensed up as her super hearing suddenly kicked in.

"What's wrong Sense?" asked Express.

"I hear soldiers approaching. A lot of 'em! We've got to move people!" said Super Sense.

"Time to put these skates to the test." said Express, as she suddenly sped away from the group with insane speed.

"Well, what are we gonna do Lisa?" asked Friction panicked.

"Fret not Friction! This is where the dials in your gloves come in handy. Turn them to the left to make your suit very slippery." said Super Sense.

"What happens if I turn them to the right?" asked Friction.

"The complete opposite. Your suit will become so coarse and rough that you couldn't possibly hope to outrun a snail! Let alone a whole army of armed soldiers!" said Super Sense.

"Yikes. Better go with the left then!" said Friction, as he turned the dials on his gloves to the left.

He then tried to run but ended up sliding across the rails instead.

"Woo-hoo! This is fun!" exclaimed Friction.

"And now, for my escape. Jetpack!" exclaimed Super Sense suddenly, as a jetpack suddenly appeared on her back and she blasted off after the other heroes down the tunnel.

* * *

Meanwhile with Oliver the mantis...

"*sighs* I'm getting tired of wandering these damn tunnels..." said Oliver, to himself.

Suddenly, however, he heard something buzzing faintly around him. He then quickly ducked down as if to avoid something.

"Alright. Show yourself you little pest." said Oliver.

"You're sharp Manitrex. *suddenly grows out of nowhere* However, it seems you've gotten dull if you thought you could escape from the Madame." said Mosquito.

"Look, I'm done being an experiment gone wrong alright? You and that insect freak can kiss my abdomen." said Oliver.

"Hmm. I see. It looks like this will have to be done the hard way as always." said Mosquito, popping out his wrist blades.

"Hey you chose this life. I didn't." said Oliver, entering a fighting stance.

"*smirks* Once the Madame's DNA enters your body, your life is no longer yours." said Mosquito, as he suddenly rushed forward and started melee fighting with Oliver.

Oliver dodged each of Mosquito's swings and then quickly darted around him. Mosquito was thrown off for a second, which allowed Oliver to deliver a surprise kick to his back.

*Mosquito grunts on the ground*

"Haha. The Madame's DNA is working against you now." said Oliver.

Before Mosquito could say something, a 'ribbit' suddenly echoed through the tunnel. Oliver looked behind him to see a frog fast approaching him.

"What's a frog doin' down here? Oof!-"

Oliver was suddenly rushed by Mosquito, who now had him pressed up against the wall, with his blade to his neck.

"Froggy! Wait up!" exclaimed Adelaide, as she turned the corner and stopped dead in her tracks as she witnessed the scene before her.

"*gasps* Oliver! *Froggy 2 hopped back on top of her head* Let him go!" exclaimed Adelaide.

"*chuckles* Little girl, this is not your concern. Now run along before I do something I regret." said Mosquito.

Just then, a web was suddenly stuck to Mosquito's right arm, and he found himself being flung away from Oliver.

*Mosquito is on the ground again, dazed, but then sees Tarantula*

"The only thing you're gonna regret is showing your face around here again!" said Tarantula.

"*suddenly gasps* "Adel- (clears her throat and uses a deep voice) Little girl, what are you doing down here?! It's dangerous, and I'm sure your parents are very worried! Maybe even an older sibling? Like a sister... I'm guessing?" said Orbit, in an attempt to hide her identity.

"Uh...maybe?" said Adelaide, with a sheepish smile.

"*growls* Look what you've done now Tarantula. You've brought more pests for me to deal with." said Mosquito.

"The only pest here is you alright?" said Tarantula, as a quip.

Mosquito suddenly tripped her down unexpectedly and jumped to his feet. Before he could follow up this attack however, Oliver suddenly flew in and tackled him to the ground.

"Whoa! Oliver, you can fly?" asked Adelaide in awe.

"*grunts as he struggles with Mosquito* Not the best at it!" said Oliver.

"Tarantula! You guys have to help my friend! He's not a monster! I promise!" said Adelaide worried.

"Yeah, we know." said Rocket.

"Don't worry, we'll help your friend. Rocket, let's go. Orbit, you keep watch with her." said Tarantula.

"You got it Tarantula." said Orbit, folding her arms as she stood beside Adelaide.

Meanwhile, Oliver and Mosquito were still wrestling with each other on the ground.

"Manitrex! I'm supposed to bring you back alive, but you're making that very difficult for me to do!" said Mosquito frustrated.

"Oh really? Well, I'm about to make it difficult for you to make it back at all!" exclaimed Oliver, as he suddenly ripped out a strange device from the side of Mosquito's armor.

"*gasps* What have you done?" said Mosquito, as he kicked Oliver off of him.

Right at that moment, Rocket's shield came flying towards him, but he quickly dodged it and stood to his feet.

"No! My size modifier!-"

Mosquito was suddenly blindsided by a solid knockout punch from Tarantula.

"*panting and then smirks* I finally knocked you down to size." said Tarantula, now standing over an unconscious Mosquito.

"Nice one." said Rocket, giving a thumbs up.

"Oliver! You're safe!" said Adelaide, as she ran up to the mantis and gave him a hug.

Froggy 2 then hopped on top of his head.

"*laughs* Hey there Adelaide. I didn't expect to see you down here. Or, any of you guys for that matter." said Oliver.

"Well, let's just say we came here to help a fellow mutant. Even though, only one of us is really a mutant." said Orbit cheekily.

Just then, Express, Friction, and Super Sense joined the group from an adjacent tunnel.

"There you guys are." said Express.

"Whoa. What happened to you guys?" asked Rocket.

"We've been running from soldiers this whole time! Well, I was sliding but, you know, same thing." said Friction.

"I see you all have fund the mantis." said Super Sense.

"Yeah, this is Oliver! I told you he was nice! Thanks for saving him Tarantula." said Adelaide.

"You're welcome." said Tarantula.

"Uh, I hate to break up this moment but, we're not entirely out of the woods just yet." said Super Sense.

"What do you mean?" asked Tarantula.

"Even if we escape these tunnels and Oliver here goes into hiding, there's no guarantee that the police will stop looking for him. May I remind you that they have enlisted the military for this operation?" said Super Sense.

"She's got a point." said Express.

"What are we gonna do?" asked Friction.

"Maybe Oliver should get out of town for a bit." said Rocket.

"No way!" exclaimed Adelaide.

*Froggy 2 ribbits in a disapproving tone*

"Oliver is me and Froggy's friend! He can't leave! It's not fair to him and it's not fair to us!" exclaimed Adelaide defending Oliver.

"I was gonna say something, but it seems that I'm spoken for." said Oliver, as he patted Adelaide's head.

"Well we've gotta do something. We can't just stand here all day." said Tarantula.

Suddenly, Super Sense received a vision of soldiers approaching the group quickly.

"I concur. Whatever this plan is, we have to come up with it quickly! The soldiers are closing in!" said Super Sense.

"Wait! I've got it! We'll just give the soldiers what they want! A bug monster!" said Orbit.

"Huh? I don't get it." said Friction.

"Look around! We've got some _green sludge _on the walls, some pipes on the ground, and the perfect scapegoat." said Orbit, referring to Mosquito.

Tarantula picked up on what she was getting at and smirked to herself.

"Oh you are good." said Tarantula, giving Orbit a high five.

A few minutes later...

"*activates communicator* General. We've found something." said the lead soldier.

"The mantis monster?" asked General Walker.

"It appears that way..." said the lead soldier, as he and his troop beheld what was left behind for them.

Mosquito was still unconscious and was now hanging upside down in a web, covered in green sludge. Two L-shaped pipes had been stuck to his suit to resemble the extra mantis arms. The web he was in wrapped around him like a bow, as if to offer him as a gift. There was even a message left on the wall next to him, written in the green sludge: _HERE'S YOUR MANTIS MONSTER! :)_

"Alright men, grab that monster and lead it out of the tunnels. I'm gonna go notify the Commissioner." said General Walker, ending the communication.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city...

"Thank you all again for saving me. It feels good to know that not everyone is crooked in this city." said Oliver.

"You're welcome Oliver." said Orbit.

"Hey, uh, Oliver? There's something I've been wanting to ask you. Um, how'd you end up becoming a mantis?" asked Tarantula.

"*sighs* That's not a short story I'm afraid Tarantula. However, I can tell you who did this to me. _Madame Butterfly._" said Oliver.

"I knew it! *clears throat* So um, who are you, really?" asked Tarantula curiously.

"My name used to be _Jason Reams, _but once I got mixed up with the Madame, she renamed me Manitrex. She wanted me to be a hunter, an assassin I guess you could say." said Oliver, now revealed to be Jason.

"Oh." said Tarantula, slightly disappointed.

Orbit placed her hand on her shoulder in support.

"Well, you're free from Butterfly now." said Express, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not really. At least if I don't find a new place to live soon." said Jason.

"*gasps* I know! You could live in the old subway station near our apartment! No one uses it anymore! What do you say Oliver?...Oh, sorry, I mean, Jason." said Adelaide.

"*laughs* It's okay Adelaide. You can still call me Oliver if you want. And sure, that sounds fine." said Jason.

*Froggy 2 'ribbits' happily*

"Great! Come on! Let's go!" said Adelaide, pulling Jason behind her as she started to run off.

"Uh...wait! Adelaide! I don't think it's a good idea for you to run off by yourself! Especially not with Jason in broad daylight!" said Orbit concerned.

"*chuckles* Do you want to come along then "Orbit"? Or should I say _Sid?_" said Adelaide.

Orbit was suddenly caught off guard by this remark.

"H-How did you know it was me?" asked Orbit.

"You should've hid your voice better sis." said Adelaide.

"*sighs* Whatever. Let's just go." said Orbit.

"Don't worry there Sid. We'll be undetectable." said Jason.

"How come?" asked Orbit.

Jason suddenly grabbed hold of Orbit and Adelaide's hands, as Froggy 2 hopped on top of Jason's head again. Suddenly, the four of them disappeared and blended in with their surroundings.

"'Cause I've got camouflage." said Jason.

"Awesome!" exclaimed Adelaide.

"See you guys later!" said Orbit, as she, Adelaide, Froggy 2, and Jason ran off to the abandoned subway platform.

"Well, this has been an interesting day." said Express.

"You're telling me. We got to be heroes, have awesome suits, found the mantis, and now Sid's sister knows about our group." said Rocket.

"Let's just hope she keeps it quiet." said Friction.

Express then noticed Tarantula standing there, seemingly lost in thought.

"You okay Santiago?" asked Express.

"Huh?...Yeah, yeah. I'm fine guys. Don't worry about it." said Tarantula.

"Hey, sorry it wasn't your brother Ronnie." said Rocket.

"*sighs* It's cool Case. He's still out there somewhere. I know it...And I'm gonna find him." said Tarantula determined.

"That's the spirit Ronnie Anne." said Super Sense.

"Alright guys. We better split. The police are gonna be looking for a group this time if they're looking for me." said Tarantula.

"Good call. See ya Ronnie." said Rocket, as he flew off using his jetpack.

"Later." said Friction, sliding off again.

"You got our numbers if you need us." said Express, as she sped off in her rocket skates.

"Well, Ronnie Anne, it seems you've got a great team here." said Super Sense.

"Thanks Lisa. It's all thanks to you." said Tarantula.

"Don't mention it." said Super Sense.

Just then, a portal opened next to them and Rift popped out of it.

"Hey Rift! Right on time! It's been a pleasure Tarantula." said Super Sense, stepping into the portal.

"Same here Sense." said Tarantula.

Super Sense and Rift then disappeared into the portal.

Tarantula then turned around and looked at the sun beginning to set over Great Lakes City.

"Watch out Butterfly...sooner or later, I'm gonna catch you." said Tarantula, as she shot a web at a tree and swung from it, heading back into the city.

* * *

Later that night, with Madame Butterfly...

*lights are switched on as Madame Butterfly is seen walking though her room filled with several chrysalis chambers*

At the end of a room, there is a chamber that stands by itself, alone. Madame Butterfly pushes a button on it that opens the chamber door.

"*smirks to herself* It's time for you to wake up _Roberto. _I have a new task for you." said Madame Butterfly sinisterly.

* * *

**Well, it turns out that Oliver the mantis wasn't Bobby after all! However, it appears that Madame Butterfly has something planned for Ronnie Anne's poor brother. What will happen next as Ronnie Anne continues her search for her brother? Find out in the next episode of _SLTS: Tarantula's Tales! _**

**Thank you for reading everyone and I hope you all enjoyed it. 65 out.**


End file.
